


Dusk (Twilight Re-reimagined)

by Samthedruid



Category: Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Bella fixed to be like an actual human, Bella in a lesbian relationship, Bella starts off having a crush on Edward, Changes to James arc, Diverges from canon, Edith and Edward are twins, Edith not Edythe, Edward not a stalker in this, F/F, Fanfiction, Fluff (I think), Friends to Lovers, I'm bad at describing outfits, I'm new to this be kind, Lesbian Relationship, No sparkling, Original Vampire Lore, Some swearing/cussing, Twilight Reimagined, Vampires aren't living statues, Variation on genderbent Twilight, WIP, first fanfic, lgbtq+, slowish burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:15:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27524458
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Samthedruid/pseuds/Samthedruid
Summary: When seventeen-year-old Bella Swan moved to Forks, Washington to live with her father, she expected her new life to be as dull as the town.But in spite of her misgivings, she is welcomed into the community, makes some friends, and encounters the enigmatic Cullen family. These unnaturally beautiful adopted siblings prefer their own company. She finds herself drawn in particular to Edward Cullen, and befriends his twin, Edith.Soon, Bella will discover the reason for the Cullens' strangeness, and she will unwittingly be plunged in a world of supernatural beings and magic.
Relationships: Bella Swan/Original Character(s), Edythe Cullen/Bella Swan
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> English is not my first language, so I apologise for grammar errors. I also prefer writing in UK English.
> 
> This started off as something I was trying out for fun while going through a hard time doing my academic writing. I'm surprised at how much I'm enjoying this, and thought, why not share it? 
> 
> I read Twilight when I was fourteen, and though I was never I hardcore fan, I admittedly enjoyed it for what it was. Here, I take the opportunity to change the things I didn't like, and perhaps spice up some of the things I did. 
> 
> Biggest change and why I started this in the first place:  
> Edward and his genderbent version Edythe (my version will be spelled Edith from here on out) exist in the same universe as twins. I don't know why. It's just what my brain did. Bella starts of crushing on Edward, but then slowly starts to fall for Edith instead and will end up with her. Mainly because I found Edythe more interesting than Edward. And I wanted to make it gay.
> 
> The first bit up until the car accident scene is more or less similar to the original novel, though I made minor changes and I think my version of Bella is snarkier and less melodramatic. The major divergence begins from the accident scene. My vampires also don't sparkle, nor are they living statues - because why? I will be creating my own vampire/supernatural lore for this. Also, I've been a new kid from the city who moved to a small town, and coincidentally share a lot of Bella's physical characteristics, and from my experience, the local kids don't suddenly obsess over you just because you're new. So that's been majorly toned down. And Jessica is nicer in this.
> 
> I will also be changing the whole arc with James, Laurent and Victoria, because it never made sense to me in the original.
> 
> Other than that, I hope you have fun with this!

Mom drove me to the airport as warm, Arizona air washed in through my open window. It was the perfect day in Phoenix at seventy-five degrees and not a cloud in the sky. I was wearing my favorite white, sleeveless top with eyelet lace as a sad farewell. I didn't know when I'd be able to wear it again, for I was heading to Forks. 

In the Olympic Peninsula of northwest Washington State, Forks exists under a near-constant cover of clouds. It rains more in this inconsequential town than anywhere else in the United States of America. It is from this town that Mom escaped with me when I was only a few months old. My mom is a creature of sunshine and warmth; the gloom, rain, and ever-present cold would have killed her. I couldn't entirely blame her. I had to visit Forks for a month every summer until I was fourteen. At least I missed some of the worst Arizona heat waves, I guess. After that, Charlie and I vacationed in California for the last three summers. Compromise.

Now, I was going to live with Charlie in self-imposed exile from the desert and the sun. I was moving to Forks. 

I was going to miss Phoenix, the sun, the blistering heat, my old friends, Mom. 

"Bella, you don't have to do this," Mom had said before we left for the airport. I had to keep myself from crying. I didn't have to take care of my child-like, loving, scatterbrained mother anymore. She had Phil to do that now, to make sure the bills get paid, that there's food in the fridge not past their expiry date, that the oil and water levels in the car get checked every so often. Phil was good for her, and maybe now I could salvage what remains of my last few years of being a "normal teenager". 

I had swallowed my tears and lied, "no, I want to go." For her sake.

Why would Mom's new beau be the cause of me moving in with my dad to a town that will inevitably plunge me into seasonal depression? Phil must be a horrible narcissist that wants to isolate my poor innocent mother from her family! The truth is, Phil got a six-month contract to work in Thailand, with a strong possibility of extension. While he and Mom agonized over whether she should stay behind with me, or figure out the logistics of finding me a school in Thailand, I made the decision for them. It would be easier for me to move in with Charlie, then Mom can go to Thailand with Phil without worrying about uprooting me and disrupting my education for six months. Instead, I would uproot myself to Forks, Washington. At least I understood the language and school system there.

"I'll come home whenever you need me. Just say the word," she said earnestly. I briefly entertained the image of Mom commandeering a plane to get back to the States. 

"Thanks Mom," I smiled. "Don't worry about me. Enjoy Thailand! I expect tons of pictures," I added, knowing that she would forget after the first day.

We hugged before I passed through the terminal(?). 

"I love you Bella," Mom sobbed over my shoulder.

I blinked as hot tears began to fill my eyes. "I love you too."

Five minutes later I was on the plane and completely alone, despite the other passengers. I tried to get comfortable and forget about the four hour flight to Seattle ahead of me, and then the small plane from there to Port Angeles. I don't do well with planes. Or heights. Just thinking about Mom and Phil's flight to Thailand had my lungs constricting. I tried very hard not to think of every possible worst-case scenario we could face; you know, getting caught in storm and sending us in a lethal spiral to the merciless earth below, or engine failure that would set the plane ablaze, or a maniac hijacking the plane for their extremist plot. I wished I had gotten a prescription for some sedatives or something to get me through this. But it was too late now, and I doubt the air hostesses would be willing to serve me some alcohol for my nerves.

Poor Charlie seemed really excited about me coming to live with him, which of course does wonders for the perpetual guilt I feel whenever I think of him or spend time with him. He even insisted on getting me a car as a "welcoming home" gift. The world doesn't deserve Charlie, and he didn't deserve to get hurt by Mom, and by proxy, me. That didn't mean I wasn't anxious about being around Charlie more permanently. Neither of us are exactly verbose, and one summer a year for fourteen years isn't exactly enough to know a person well, at least not people like me and Charlie, and the painful attempts at casual conversation already had me squirming. 

Fortunately the flight to Seattle went off without a hiccup, not even turbulence. It was, of course, raining in Seattle and I quickly got my underdressed ass into a parka. I liked the small plane to Port Angeles even less, because I could feel every bump and jolt as the wind buffeted our too small craft, and below us grey clouds stretched as far as the eye could see. I said my final goodbye to the sun as we dipped below the clouds to land.

Charlie picked me up in the police cruiser. I wasn't surprised, but it didn't stop my face from burning as people glanced at us. Police Chief Swan enveloped me in a tight, but brief hug.

"Good to see you Bells," he said gruffly as he looked me up and down.

"It's good to see you too, Dad," I replied lamely. He didn't like me calling him Charlie.

Charlie loaded my suitcase and two smaller bags into the trunk. "That everything?"

I nodded. Most of my clothes were back in Phoenix, my wardrobe was too thin for the Forks weather. 

"I found a good car for you," Charlie announced as we strapped ourselves in. 

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. I had prepared myself for humiliating trips to school in the cruiser for the first few weeks while we looked for an affordable car for me.

"Well, it's technically a truck. A Chevy."

My anxiety spiked. "A _truck_?"

"Yeah. Really good price. Great condition."

I was immediately suspicious, although I highly doubted that Charlie would get me a vehicle he would deem unsafe. I do think he also highly overestimated my ability to drive old trucks. "Where did you get it? How old is it?"

"My buddy Billy Black, from La Push, remember him?"

"No."

"We went on some fishing trips with him."

Ah. That explained why I don't remember, I think I repressed most of the fishing trip memories as all of them had ended up with me drenched in freezing cold water. 

"Anyway, he can't drive it anymore because of his health, so he agreed to sell it to me for a good price."

"How old is it?" I repeated. 

"Uh," he started. Always a good sign. "A few years, but Billy and his boys kept it in good condition."

"Cha- Dad!"

"I think it was new in the seventies," he admitted sheepishly.

"I don't know anything about cars!" I protested. "I wouldn't know what to do if something goes wrong with it!"

"Now Bells," said Charlie calmly, "the thing runs really good. And if something goes wrong, Billy offered that his boys take a look at it. They know it inside and out."

I finally remembered myself. I must have seemed like an ungrateful brat after Charlie went out of his way to find me transport. "Thanks Dad, you really didn't have to."

Charlie focused pointedly on the road and gruffly responded, "I just want you to be happy here."

His awkwardness made me feel awkward and I looked out the window as I said, "thanks Dad. I'm sure I will be." 

We made a few attempts at small talk by making comments on the weather, which was wet and horrible. He asked me about school. I responded noncommittally. We spent the rest of the trip in silence.

It was admittedly beautiful here, I couldn't deny that. Everything was so green: the trees, their trunks covered with moss, their branches hanging with a canopy of it, the ground covered with ferns. Even the air filtered down greenly through the leaves. I felt like I was on an alien planet.

Charlie still lived in the small, two-bedroom house he'd bought with Mom in the early days of their marriage. Those were the only kind of days their marriage had: the early ones. There, parked on the street in front of the house that never changed, was my new, well, new to me, truck. It was a faded red color, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab. To my intense surprise, I loved it. I didn't know if it would run, but I could see myself in it. Plus, it was one of those solid iron affairs that never gets damaged, the kind you see at the scene of an accident, paint unscratched, surrounded by the pieces of the foreign car it had destroyed. 

"Wow, Dad, I love it!" I exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm. The first day of school seemed less daunting now that I wouldn't be starting it by announcing myself as the Police Chief's daughter.

"I'm glad you like it," Charlie mumbled.

Between the two of us It took only one trip to get all my stuff upstairs. I got the west bedroom that faced out over the front yard. The room was familiar; it had been belonged to me since I was born. The wooden floor, the light blue walls, the peaked ceiling, the yellowed lace curtains around the window - these were all a part of my childhood. The only changes Charlie had ever made were switching the crib for a bed and adding a desk as I grew. 

There was only one small bathroom at the top of the stairs which we would be sharing, but that was nothing new. I had to share with Mom for most of my life.

Charlie left me alone to unpack and get settled, a feat that would have been altogether impossible for Mom. It was nice to be alone, not to have to smile and pretend to be happy; a relief to stare dejectedly out the window at the sheeting rain and let the full realization of my situation settle in. I texted Mom to let her know I'd arrived safely and felt a jab of homesickness. I sniffled and a few tears finally escaped. I thought about school and all the adjustments the next day. and the day after would bring. 

Forks High School had a frightening total of only three hundred and fifty-seven (now fifty-eight) students; there were more than seven hundred people in my junior class alone back home. All of the kids here had grown up together; their grandparents had been toddlers together. Back in Phoenix, I'd perfected the art of rendering myself invisible, a shadow among the masses. That was going to be hard, if not impossible, to do here, where everyone will probably be able to recognize me by the end of the week. 

I worried about making friends. I didn't relate well to people my age, or rather, I didn't relate well to people, period. Even Mom, who I was closer to than anyone else on the planet, was never in harmony with me, never on exactly the same page. Sometimes I wondered if I was seeing the same things through my eyes that the rest of the world was seeing through theirs. Maybe there was a glitch in my brain. Or it’s my social anxiety. It had taken me half a year to make friends at my old high school. 

When I finished putting my clothes in the old pine dresser, I took my bag of bathroom necessities and went to the communal bathroom to clean myself up after the day of travel. I looked at my face in the mirror as I brushed through my tangled, damp hair. Maybe it was the light, but already I looked sallower, unhealthy. I have the type of skin that doesn't so really tan, but immediately burns red in the sun, which is ironic considering where I come from. I must have some Irish blood in me somewhere. Soon, Forks would turn me skeletally pale, any bit of color I had managed to acquire in Phoenix sucked out of me. 

I didn't sleep well that night, even after I’d exhausted myself crying. The constant whooshing of the rain, and wind buffeting my window, wouldn't fade into the background. I pulled the faded old quilt over my head, and later added the pillow, too. But I couldn't fall asleep until after midnight, when the rain finally settled into a quieter drizzle. 

Note to self: get earplugs. 

All I could see through the window was thick fog the next morning. My anxiety grew at the thought of driving through it. At least my truck would probably win through sheer weight should there be an accident. You can almost never see the sky here. It's like a cage. 

Breakfast with Charlie was a quiet event. He wished me good luck at school. I thanked him, he meant well. Charlie left first, off to the police station that was his wife and family. After he left, I sat at the old square oak table in one of the three mismatching chairs and examined his small kitchen, with its dark paneled walls, bright yellow cabinets, and white linoleum floor. Nothing has changed. Mom had painted the cabinets eighteen years ago in an attempt to bring some sunshine into the house. Over the small fireplace in the adjoining handkerchief-sized family room was a row of pictures. First a wedding picture of Charlie and Mom in Las Vegas, then one of the three of us in the hospital after I was born, taken by a helpful nurse, followed by the procession of my school pictures up to last year's. Those were embarrassing to look at, a reminder of the awkward years. I’m still in my awkward years.

It was suffocating being in this house, constantly reminded that Charlie never got over Mom. I think me being around makes it worse. Do all kids of divorced parents feel this guilt?

I didn't want to be too early to school like a weirdo, but I couldn't stay in this house anymore. I donned my jacket and headed out into the rain. It was just drizzling still, not enough to soak me through by the time I reached the truck. I couldn't pause and admire it again as I wanted; I was in a hurry to get out of the misty wet that swirled around my head and clung to my hair under my hood. Inside the truck, it was nice and dry. Either Billy or Charlie had obviously cleaned it up, but the tan upholstered seats still smelled faintly of tobacco, gasoline, and peppermint. The engine started quickly, to my relief, but loudly, roaring to life and then idling at top volume. Well, a truck this old was bound to have a flaw. The radio was brand new, a plus I hadn't expected.

Finding the school wasn't difficult, though I'd never been there before. The school was, like most other things, just off the highway. It was not obvious that it was a school; only the sign, which declared it to be the Forks High School, made me stop. It looked like a collection of matching houses, built with maroon-colored bricks. There were so many trees and shrubs I couldn't see its size at first. Where was the feel of the institution? I wondered nostalgically. Where were the chain-link fences, the metal detectors?

I parked in front of the first building, which had a small sign over the door reading front office. No one else was parked there, so I felt like I was trespassing, but I decided I would get directions inside instead of circling around in the rain like an idiot. I stepped unwillingly out of the toasty truck cab and walked down a little stone path lined with dark hedges. I took a deep breath before opening the door. Inside, it was brightly lit, and warmer than I'd hoped. The office was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange-flecked commercial carpet, notices and awards cluttering the walls, a big clock ticking loudly. Plants grew everywhere in large plastic pots, as if there wasn't enough greenery outside. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly colored flyers taped to its front. There were three desks behind the counter, one of which was manned (womanned?) by a large, red-haired woman wearing glasses.

"Good morning! Can I help you?" she asked kindly.

"Hi, um, I'm Isabella Swan?"

Her eyes lit up with recognition. "Of course you are, sweetie!" She dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk behind her till she found the ones she was looking for. "I have your schedule right here, and a map of the school." She brought several sheets to the counter. 

She went through my classes for me, highlighting the best route to each on the map, and gave me a slip to have each teacher sign, which I was to bring back at the end of the day. She smiled at me and hoped, like Charlie, that I would like it here in Forks. I smiled back as convincingly as I could.

When I went back out to my truck, other students were starting to arrive. I drove around the school, following the line of traffic. I was glad to see that most of the cars were older like mine, nothing flashy. At home I'd lived in one of the few lower-income neighborhoods that were included in the Paradise Valley District. It was a common thing to see a new Mercedes or Porsche in the student lot. The nicest car here was a shiny Volvo, and it stood out. Still, I cut the engine as soon as I was in a spot, so that the thunderous volume wouldn't draw attention to me.

I looked at the map in the truck, trying to memorize it. The school was small, what were the odds of me getting lost? I stuffed everything in my bag, slung the strap over my shoulder, and sucked in a huge breath. I can do this, I lied to myself feebly. No one was going to bite me. I finally exhaled and stepped out of the truck.

I pulled my hood up against the rain and blended seamlessly with the crowd. This was, after all, what I excel at. 

I found my first class easily enough. I followed a small girl with brown hair and a bubbly laugh into the classroom and got stopped by the teacher on my way to a desk. Once he signed my slip I grabbed an available desk. All the teacher did was hand out assignments, then he sat at at his desk and started to leaf through a hunting magazine. The girl in front of me turned around and grinned at me.

"Hi! I'm Jessica."

"Hey," I smiled back awkwardly. "I'm Bella."

"You're new here."

I couldn't tell if she was asking or stating, so I just nodded. _Um actually, I've always been here you just haven't noticed_.

"If you need anything, just ask, I can show you around and stuff," Jessica continued. 

I felt like she wanted me to say something but couldn't think of anything other than "thanks!" to contribute to the conversation.

"Are you shy?"

I forced a laugh. "Yeah, you got me."

"Oh don't worry. I'll be friends with you then you won't have to be stressed about being lonely."

"Uh, thanks?"

When the bell rang, Jessica asked me where my next class was. 

"Uh, Government."

"Oh, I don't have that. But Eric does."

Jessica summoned a boy with jet black hair and a sweet smile.

"Eric, this is Bella. She's in Government with you so you can take her."

The boy grinned at me and offered his hand, "Hey."

"Hey." His hand was a bit clammy.

Government was in one of the other buildings, so we pulled up our hoods and braved the drizzle. 

"Quite different from Phoenix, huh?" he asked.

"Uh, yeah. What's with this water coming from the sky?"

This got a chuckle out of him. "It really doesn't rain much there, does it?"

"Maybe three or four times a year?"

"Oh wow," he looked ahead. "What must that be like?"

"Dry."

He laughed again. I liked Eric.

The rest of the morning passed much the same, with me either following the people who adopted me, or being passed along to their other helpful friends. Everyone was so _nice_ and eager to help! It's creepy. Where are the stares and the whispers about the freaky new kid that my dark little soul desires!? I started recognizing the faces I've shared previously classes with, I shared a lot of them with a quiet girl named Angela, another of Eric and Jessica's friends.

At lunch I was scooped up by Jessica and made to sit with her and her friends. I mostly just smiled and nodded, politely answering any questions they had about me. 

It was there in the lunchroom, as I listened mostly in silence to the other's chatting and complaints about teachers, that I saw Them. 

A group of kids entered the cafeteria and I was instantly intrigued. All four of them were deathly pale, even by Forks standards, like they were all recovering from anemia or something. The smallest girl caught my attention first by the way she seemed to dance instead of walk. She had short, dark hair sticking artfully at all ends and an enchanting, pixie-like face. Everything about her was so arrestingly fae. Alongside her walked a tall, lean boy with tousled blond hair and a stoic expression. The other two had to be siblings as they looked very similar. They both had chestnut colored hair, the girl's long and curly, and the boy's short and wavy. Their features were similar and eerily beautiful. The girl was about average height and dressed in the most stylish punk ensemble I've ever seen while the boy was dressed more subdued, with prep boy vibes, except not as obnoxious. 

Jessica caught my stare. "Oh, those are the Cullens and Jasper Hale. Doctor Cullen's adopted kids."

"Oh," was the most intelligent thing I could come up with, still studying the odd family as they settled at their own table. They looked like models hired to pose as a family, except something about they way they interacted was very familiar. The pixie-girl was talking animatedly while the punk girl laughed. The shorter of the two boys smiled, whereas the blonde's expression remained neutral throughout.

"So the small girl is Alice, she's a little weird," Jessica explained. "The twins with the gorgeous hair, they're Edward and Edith Cullen. The one who looks like he's in pain is Jasper Hale." Here she lowered her voice and leaned closer, eyes shining with the juicy gossip she was about to spill. "He and Alice are together. Like _together_ together."

Okay, that _is_ a little weird.

"And him?" I tried to sound casual as I indicated Edward. 

Jessica snorted. "Good luck with that. Mr Cullen is apparently too good for us Forks girls." Something about the bitterness in her voice gave me the sneaking suspicion that she spoke from experience. "Or he could be gay. I mean, I wouldn't be surprised, considering."

There were snickers around me. "Considering what?"

"So, Edith, she likes - _girls_ ," Jessica barely whispered the last word.

Ah. Small town. I get it.

"Although," said one of the girls at the table. "If I had to swing that way, I would go for Edith Cullen too."

More snickers and giggles, and the conversation switched to everyone discussing which same sex celebrity they would date, but my attention was fixed on the strange pale kids across the cafeteria. Suddenly Edward looked up and met my eyes, I blushed furiously and looked away, trying to pretend like I was just scanning the room. He really was beautiful, which isn't a word I'd normally use to describe a boy. I got the feeling like they were all watching me now, and took a quick peek. Edward's siblings were indeed looking my way, Edith with an indecipherable smirk, and Alice openly curious. I ducked my head and played with my tray.

"Have they always lived here? In Forks?" I asked, trying and failing to remember if I'd seen them on past visits.

"No, they moved here like two years ago. I think from Alaska," said Jessica. "I think they move a lot because of Doctor Cullen."

Huh. I didn't know doctors' jobs involved a lot of displacement. Unless it was for another reason? Either way, I felt a surge of pity for them. It couldn't be easy to move around a lot, to always be the new kids in a new place. No wonder they seemed to be tight-knit group keeping to themselves.

My next class was Biology II, which I apparently had with one of my new acquaintances - Angela - a plain, quiet girl I already took a liking to. We walked together in companionable silence, which I appreciated. Small talk was not my forte. When we entered the classroom Angela went straight for her assigned seat, leaving me to take one at the empty lab table in the next row. I just finished taking out my notebook when the Cullen twins entered the classroom and I involuntarily froze. Edith headed purposefully to the back of the class, I envied her for the ease with which she moved, completely comfortable in her body. Edward noticed me and suddenly went rigid. He approached my lab bench stiffly, and I realized that he probably sat at the empty spot next to me. His expression was strange, almost hostile. Was I on his spot? Did he have a thing about sharing? He briefly met my gaze and his amber coloured eyes, which normally would have enthralled me, shocked me with their open disgust. What the heck dude? We haven't even met! Maybe I'd misunderstood Jessica's ire toward Edward and that he was just a snob. 

From the corner of my eye I couldn't help but notice Mr Cullen's posture as he was leaning ever so slightly away from me, sitting at the very edge of his stool, as if I was reeking with BO. I surreptitiously tried to sniff myself, which isn't really something you can do without any notice. Nope. No sweaty stink, just my deodorant. So what was this guy's problem? I lowered my head and tried to focus on doodling, stupidly feeling like crying because this stranger hated me for no reason.

The lecture was on cellular anatomy, which we'd already covered in Phoenix, so my mind wandered a lot. I wondered if Mr Banner would notice if I read in his class. I have Wuthering Heights in my bag and have been threatening to read it for ages now. I couldn't stop my thoughts from drifting over to Edward Cullen though. He remained rigid and unchanged throughout the entire class, his jaw was clenched making impressive lines, and his knuckles stood out white beneath his pale skin.

Was he like this in every class? Was this normal? Or was it just me?

 _Now Bella. That's just your social anxiety and insecurities talking. Of course this weird, and admittedly incredibly attractive, boy doesn't hate_ you. 

I glanced over my shoulder at Edith, but she seemed focused on her notes, her beautiful hair cascading over one shoulder. Her posture appeared normal and her partner appeared unperturbed. Suddenly she looked up and straight into my eyes, and I quickly turned back. Her eyes were also that cool amber colour. 

When the bell finally rang, I jumped violently, and Edward was out of his seat and out the door before anyone had even started to pack away their things. Edith followed fluidly in his wake a few seconds later, pausing at my table long enough to say, "please excuse my brother. We're still training him how to people." I barely had time to register that she'd spoken to me, when she was already gone, leaving the scent of her perfume behind. I sat for a few flabbergasted seconds before packing up. 

Angela kindly waited for me, and when I slung my bag over my shoulder she commented, "I wonder if Edward's okay. He looks terrible, like he might be sick any moment."

Oh. So his behaviour wasn't normal. I hoped, as horrible a it may sound, that he _was_ sick, and that it wasn't somehow because of me. 

_Yes Bella. Because you're_ that _important and powerful._

When the final bell of the day finally rang, I was left exhausted from all the forced smiling and socialization. I headed back to the office to hand in my paperwork, walking across the parking lot through biting winds. Winter was going to be deadly. The office was nice and toasty inside, but I almost turned around and fled when I approached the front desk.

Edward Cullen was leaning across the desk, dressed only in a stylish cream sweater despite the weather, and talking to the red-haired lady in a low, urgent voice. I pressed against the wall and felt like I was intruding on a meeting, which is ridiculous as this is a public school office! I tried to assess whether Edward still looked as "ill" as he had during Biology, and although he was extremely pale, his body language seemed relaxed enough. Maybe he'd been seriously constipated or something. 

Whatever the argument was about, Edward lost, his shoulders sagged before he thanked the lady, then turned around. I froze, like a deer in headlights, and he stiffened, his expression shifting quickly from surprise to hatred. What the hell man!? Without another word he breezed past me and out the door. 

His behaviour unsettled me more than it should have, and I felt a prickly lump forming in my throat. I handed the receptionist my forms while keeping my eyes lowered, praying that I could at least hold it together until I reached the truck.

"How was your first day, sweetie?" the lady asked kindly as she took my papers.

"Fine," I answered hoarsely and forced a smile.

The moment I was in the truck and had shut the door, the tears burst from the dam. And I was angry at myself for letting a stupid boy upset me like that. I cried silently all the way to Charlie's - _my_ \- house. 


	2. Chapter 2

The next day was better and worse.

It was better because it wasn't raining... yet, and I at least new a little more of what to expect at the new school. I sat with Jessica, Eric, Angela and another guy called Mike at lunch again. I got second-hand embarrassment for Jessica at how obviously she crushed on Mike. I mean, he was cute, in a boyish way with baby-blue eyes and blond hair, but not really my type. He talked about a trip to the beach some time, which sounded like a _wonderful_ time in this weather!

It was worse because of my insomnia. My head was foggy, I couldn't focus, and got called on in Trig and got the answer wrong. And then during PE I accidentally slammed the ball into Mike.

Edward Cullen wasn't at school. Maybe he _was_ sick and I'd judged him unfairly. I get pretty cranky when I'm sick. Edith, Alice and Jasper sat at the same table as yesterday, one hot boy short. I kind of wanted to ask one of them if he was okay, but never did.

Biology passed a lot less stressfully and I could just vegetate as Mr Banner covered mitosis. Luckily I had my notes from my old school so I doodled some cats in my notebook.

After school I hurried to the sanctuary that was my truck - I've already grown surprisingly fond of the thing - and brought the deafening engine to life. As I carefully navigated my way out the parking lot, I saw the Cullens enter the shiny Volvo. Of course the nicest car was theirs. Along with their expensive clothes, this probably didn't win them any favours here, where wealth actually bought you the opposite of popularity. It's one of the few surprising little things I'm learning to like about Forks. And the fact that they kept to themselves just made them look like snobs. 

The Thriftway was not far from the school, just a few streets south off the highway. It was nice to be inside the supermarket; it felt normal. I did the shopping back home - I mean back in Phoenix - so the task was weirdly comforting. Since Charlie's diet seemed to have consisted of little more than coffee for breakfast and takeaways for lunch all these years, I promptly requested to be in charge of food in the house and he happily handed me the responsibility. Why am I always the one taking care of the adults in my life? 

When I got home I put away the groceries in the too empty cupboards and fridge, slathered veggies in olive oil and herbs and stuffed them in the oven to bake, and marinated a steak and stuck it in the fridge. 

I checked my phone for the first time since this morning and saw a string of messages from Mom. 

> _Hi sweetie! How was school?_
> 
> _Is it raining?_
> 
> _I'm almost finished packing for Thailand._
> 
> _Did you accidentally pack my pink blouse?_
> 
> _Phil says hi! Can I call later? I miss you and love you lots!_

I smiled and typed back: _Hey mom! School is school. The kids are nice though. Not yet today, but not keeping my hopes up. Your blouse is at the dry cleaners. Let me get some homework done and I'll let you know. Miss you and love you too! Give Phil a hug from me._

I changed into my comfiest sweat pants and hoodie, put on some My Chemical Romance on Spotify (don't you dare judge me for being a cliché), and started my homework, checking the food every now and then. When the rain began to patter and steadily grow louder, I popped my earphones in to drown it out, which was why I didn't hear when Charlie came home. It took him practically hammering on my door to hear him over MCR's loud angst in my ears. 

"Oh, sorry, didn't hear you," I showed my earphones as explanation. "Anyways, hey!"

"Uh, hey. The food smells good. When will it be ready?"

I checked my phone's timer. "Hopefully in half an hour."

His brow creased. "That long?"

"You can have some veggies so long?"

He didn't look happy about it, but nodded, and I followed him to the kitchen. Dutifully he tried my oven bake vegetables, raised his eyebrows, and mumbled, "damn this is pretty good!"

I smiled and checked on the steak.

We ate in silence, after which Charlie settled in front of the tv and I joined him with my book. It felt... normal. 

"How's school?" Charlie asked.

"Uh, it's okay."

"You make any friends yet?"

I thought about Jessica, Eric, and the others. "I'm sitting with some kids at lunch and share a few classes with them. They're all pretty nice."

Charlie nodded. "Have you met a kid named Mike? I think he's your age. I know his family, they own the sporting goods store. Good people."

I couldn't tell if Charlie was trying to get at something, and from what I saw with Jessica, the Girl Code mandates that I leave Mike alone.

"Do you know the Cullens?" I asked, not really sure why they popped into my head.

"Sure, I know Dr Cullen. He's a good man. His coming here has been great for the town. He could work anywhere in the world and earn ten times his current salary, but he chose Forks. We're lucky to have him."

"His kids go to my school."

"How are they? I've never really met the kids, but they seemed pretty polite."

"I don't really know. They mostly keep to themselves."

We lapsed back into easy silence. I managed to get through two chapters of Wuthering Heights.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful. I knew where all my classes were at this point, and have accepted that I was now part of Jessica's friend group. Not sure what to make of her yet, but I like Eric and Angela. The former's funny and the latter I share a lot in common with. Mike's goofy and cute, and I kind of feel sorry for Jessica about how oblivious he is. Gym is torture, but what are you going to do? When I was a kid, a doctor chalked my poor coordination down to an inner ear thing, not that I'm really into sports. I'm not very competitive. Except when it comes to 30 Seconds. 30 Seconds is _my game._ Edward Cullen was off school for the rest of the week. The rumour was that he'd caught a stomach bug. I hoped I didn't get whatever it was.

Mike was really pushing for a trip to La Push beach for reasons I couldn't fathom. I agreed to go to be polite, they'veall been really nice and welcoming so it's the least I could do. 

I caught up on some of my lost sleep over the weekend, cleaned the house, talked to Mom, and watched F.R.I.E.N.D.S for the millionth time (Phoebe's my favourite). It rained all weekend of course, so I just stayed inside.

All in all, I was a lot more comfortable here than I ever expected to be.

On Monday morning after we walked out of class, the air was swirling with flecks of white. People cried out excitedly and some guys started running around. The wind bit at my cheeks and nose.

"Wow, it's snowing!" exclaimed Mike.

I stared in disbelief at the fluff gathering around the sidewalk "I imagined the flakes bigger."

"Haven't you seen snow before?" asked Mike in disbelief.

"Not in real life."

"That's sad. Just wait until it's properly snowing! You have to go sledding at least once in your life."

"Is this _normal_ this time of year?" I asked, palm out, not even feeling the flecks as they landed and instantly melted on my skin.

"Hmm. Sometimes. Apparently, when I was a baby, Forks was hit with major snow in June."

"Does that mean the beach trip's off?"

He gave me a funny look. "Course not!"

Just then a big, squishy, dripping glob hit Mike in the back of the head. I flinched instinctually. We turned around and saw a grinning Eric before he ducked away. Mike laughed and immediately started to scoop up some mush and I made a hasty retreat.

"I'll see you at lunch!" I called, head tucked beneath my shoulders.

"You gotta learn to have fun Bella!" Mike yelled after me before lobbing his snowball.

I walked alertly to the cafeteria with Angela and Jessica after Spanish. Mush balls were flying everywhere. I kept a binder in my hands, ready to use it as a shield if necessary. Jessica thought I was hilarious, but she herself squealed when she became an unwilling target. Mike and Eric joined us soon after, their hair dripping and clothes splotchy in places.

"Oh, Edward's back," Jessica remarked.

I followed her gaze and saw that, indeed, Edward was sitting with his adoptive siblings, minus Edith. 

"He looks better," Angela remarked quietly. 

He definitely seemed better, no hostility in his face or rigidity in his posture. Edith then appeared and smooshed a handful of snow into his hair, laughing as she mussed it up and he struggled to get away. Alice and Jasper joined in the laughter, leaning away in case they got targeted next. Just a bunch of kids enjoying the weather like the rest of us. 

"Are you staring at Edward Cullen?" Jessica giggled.

I quickly looked away. "No!"

We grabbed our trays and sat down at an open table and I couldn't help but look their way again. Edward was shaking out his hair at his sisters as they laughed and protested. 

"What do you say, Bella?" Mike asked.

"Hmm?" I turned my attention back to our group.

"Are you joining in? We're having an epic snowball fight after school!"

"It's going to be _so_ fun!" Jessica beamed at Mike.

"Uh," I hesitated, glancing at Angela for support. She shrugged like it was out of her hands to refuse them.

"Come on Bella!" Eric pressed. 

"Fine," I sighed.

"You can hide with me," Angela laughed. 

"Thanks."

Unfortunately it started to rain after lunch, washing away all traces of the snow. It was a freezing downpour that made me miss the usual soft drizzle. Mike and Eric groaned and yelled their displeasure. 

I arrived a few minutes early for Biology and sat down at the my empty table. As I was bent over to get my things from my bag, I heard and felt movement behind me.

I straightened up and Edward Cullen greeted me quietly. "Hello."

"Uh, hey," I smiled. 

His hair was still dripping and messy from Edith's attack, but unfairly looked like he was ready for a photoshoot instead of just wet and gross. 

"I'm Edward," he offered me his hand. I was a really nice hand. "Sorry I didn't properly introduce myself last week."

I shook his hand, it was cold and his skin impressively smooth for a boy's. "That's okay. I'm Bella. Are you feeling better?"

He smiled. "I am, thank you."

He was so much nicer now! Must have been some stomach bug. 

He looked at me expectantly and I racked my brain for small talk. "So, um, a pity about the snow, huh?"

He chuckled and combed his wet hair. "Yeah. I was planning on some payback, but I guess it'll have to wait."

"You guys seem pretty close," I remarked lamely. "It must be nice to have a lot of siblings."

"Sometimes," he said. "But yeah, we're close. I think we just got used to sticking together."

"Yeah I heard you moved a lot."

He nodded. "Hopefully this time we're staying for a while."

"You're welcome to come sit with us," I offered, suddenly feeling sorry for this gorgeous, lonely boy.

"Your friends won't mind?"

"I don't think so," I said, not really knowing the others well enough to give a definitive answer.

Mr Banner arrived and we turned to face him. We were doing a practical assignment today; he placed a box with microscope slides on each desk and instructed us to work in pairs to separate the slides of onion root tip cells into the phases of mitosis they represented and label them accordingly. Edward fetched a microscope from the cabinet for our table, and passed it to me.

"Ladies first?" he smiled in a way that made my brain go stupid.

Some nonsense syllables escaped my mouth before I said, "uh sure!"

_Great. He must think I'm an idiot now._

I snapped the first slide into place under the microscope and adjusted it quickly to the 40X objective. I studied the slide briefly. "Prophase"

"Can I see?" he asked quietly.

I scooted out of the way and let him peer through the microscope. I used the opportunity to study him. The lines of his face were impossibly beautiful, making me wish I could draw to somehow capture them. When he pulled back he nodded. We wrote the answer on our sheets, then he switched the slide out for a new one. He peered at it for a few seconds, then moved away for me. 

"Anaphase."

I looked at the slide and concurred. We switched back and forth until our sheets were filled out. We seemed to be the first to finish, no wait, Edith and her partner seemed to have finished as well. Edith grinned and silent communication passed between her and Edward, causing him to smile.

"You've got really cool eyes," I blurted.

Edward blinked at me. "I'm sorry?"

I blushed furiously. "Your eye colour, it's like amber. It's very rare."

"Oh. Well thank you." He smiled then. "You have really pretty eyes too."

My eyes are a very boring dark brown, so he was just being nice. "Thanks."

Mr Banner came over to our table, probably to reprimand us for not working, but seeing our completed sheets he scanned them over, then nodded before continuing to the next table.

"How do you like Forks so far?" Edward asked.

"Do you want my honest review?" 

He smiled. "Sure."

"It's too cold and too wet. But the people seem nice."

"So you're like a cat?" he smirked.

I chuckled. "Kind of. I don't like licking myself though."

This got a soft laugh out of him and I felt stupidly pleased with myself. "Where are you from?"

"Phoenix."

"Now I get why the weather bothers you."

"What about you? Where'd you live before Forks?"

He tilted his head, his golden eyes darting around as if he was mentally browsing his memories. "Before this, New England, and before that Vancouver, Wisconsin, Boston..."

"Wow! That's..."

"Yeah," he lowered his eyes. Then he changed the subject. "Why did you move here then? You're staying with your dad, right?"

"Uh, yeah. It's complicated."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"No, it's nothing serious," I said quickly, I didn't want him to get the wrong idea. "My mom remarried, and Phil got a job in Thailand."

"I see," he said, his expression turning sympathetic. "Couldn't you go with them?"

"I could, but it would've unnecessarily complicated things."

"You don't like him? Phil?"

"No, no, I do."

Edward looked confused.

"I just - I thought it would be simpler for me to move in with Charlie, rather than my mom having to stay behind or for them to have them figure out my schooling over there and stuff."

"But you're unhappy here?"

I frowned. Bold assumption to make! Not entirely untrue, but still. "So?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. It just doesn't seem fair. There could have been a better compromise."

I stared at him, beginning to grow angry. "Well I made my choice, and Charlie's really happy to have me."

"I'm sorry," said Edward quickly. "I didn't mean to offend you."

"No, it's - it's okay." I looked away, embarrassed that I was beginning to lose my temper.

"I'm not sure if it helps, but I like having you as my lab partner," he gave me a small smile.

I accepted his peace offering and smiled back.

"So what do you do when you're not hating the weather? What are your hobbies?"

"Hmm," I thought really hard and realised what a boring life I led. "I like to read, listen to music, watch series, torture my sims..." He chuckled.

"What music do you listen to?" he asked, looking genuinely curious.

I blushed. "Just, you know, MCR, Linkin Park, All American Rejects..."

He smirked. "That's a lot of grunge."

"Yeah," I forced a laugh. 

"Can I tell you a secret?" He gave me a lopsided smile.

"Sure," I said, curious.

"I like to listen to a lot of classical."

I wasn't even surprised. 

"But you'll like Edith's music," he continued. "She likes loud, edgy stuff."

"I'm always open to suggestions."

"I'll ask her," he smiled.

Mr Banner called the class to order and I turned away from Edward, feeling slightly dazed from having an actual conversation with a boy who looked like the progeny of a Greek god. I tried to follow Mr Banner, but my thoughts were too scrambled and occupied with Edward. Crap, don't tell me I have a crush on him! 

When the bell rang, Edward waited for his sister, who gave me a friendly smile, her eyes bright and dancing mischievously, and said goodbye before leaving together.

Angela joined me and we discussed the lab on our way to Gym. She lamented having to do all the work as her partner had had trouble focusing the microscope. I was fortunate that Edward was the academic type. Which reminded me -

"Is it okay that I invited Edward and his brother and sisters to sit with us at lunch?"

Angela looked surprised. "Uh, sure, I can't see why not."

"Do you think the others will mind?"

"I think they'll be surprised, Jess might not be entirely pleased, but I'm sure everyone will come around. The Cullen never really, you know," Angela looked a bit uncomfortable, "made any effort to make friends."

After hearing how much they've moved, I wasn't entirely surprised.

"I'll make sure it's okay with Jessica before I drop a surprise Edward bomb on her."

Angela laughed. "That's a good idea." Then she lowered her voice and looked around furtively, "so, do you think he's gay?"

"Edward?"

She nodded.

I thought back on our conversation. Aside from liking classical music, nothing was overtly non-hetero about him, although he was dressed very stylishly again today. "I honestly can't say." Then a thought occurred. "Will that be a problem if he is?"

"No!" she blushed. "Of course not! At least, I won't mind."

Part of me sincerely hope he wasn't gay - not because I'm homophobic, but because I would be disappointed. Not that I had any chance with a guy like Edward, but still...


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is where the first major change is. I really didn't like the original car accident scene in the novel or the movie, as a medical professions no ones reactions make any sense to me, neither from a rational POV.
> 
> Also, Bella already begins to befriend the rest of the Cullens.

When I opened my eyes in the morning, something was different. It was the light. It was still the gray-green light of a cloudy day in the forest, but it was clearer somehow. I realized there was no fog veiling my window. I jumped out of bed to look outside and groaned. A fine layer of snow covered the yard, dusted the top of my truck, and whitened the road. All the rain from yesterday had frozen solid — coating the needles on the trees in fantastic, gorgeous patterns, and making the driveway a deadly ice slick. How was I supposed to drive across that? Perhaps I should just go back to bed where it's safe and warm.

Charlie had already left for work by the time I got downstairs. In a lot of ways, living with Charlie was like having my own place, it was an exhilarating taste of independence that I didn't mind at all.

I made myself a bowl of oats, some coffee, and wolfed it all down. I was excited to go back to school, and that worried me, because my worst fears were confirmed: I had a stupid teenage crush on a boy. A boy who looked like an angel. Gone were my lofty ideals of being above such things. I've been reduced to an idiot because a good looking boy talked to me. I had to be careful. I shouldn't get my hopes up just to have them crushed. There was no way a boy like Edward would like me - that is if he wasn't gay.

I carefully made my way down the drive, not much in the mood for a broken coccyx. I nearly went sliding just as I reach my truck, but managed to catch myself on a side mirror. With the gauntlet of the driveway complete, I just needed to make it to school in one piece. I noticed a glint of silver on the nearest tyre, and after inspection saw chains crisscrossed in a diamond pattern around all of them. My heart warmed and I was deeply touched that Charlie had gone out of his way to put snow chains on my truck. I wished he was here so I could hug him. I didn't deserve Charlie. 

I drove very slowly across the black ice to school, the chains were probably what kept me from going into an uncontrollable skid. My knuckles were still pretty white around the steering wheel though. With my luck someone _else_ would crash into me.

The parking lot at school was still quite empty, probably due to the road conditions. I carefully climbed out of my truck, taking care of where and how I placed my feet. I really needed to save up for shoes with better traction. Holding onto the truck I gingerly walked around it toward the school buildings, when I heard a strange sound. 

It was a high pitched screech accompanied by the blaring of a car horn. I looked up, startled. Then a whole lot of things happened very fast. No Hollywood slow motion, no life flashing before my eyes or out of body experience. Just a blue van skidding toward me, tyres locked, brakes squealing. It was going to hit me and there was nothing I could do. I was about to die. I got hit hard enough to knock the wind out of me. My head cracked against the icy blacktop. I stared without really seeing. " _Fuck,"_ I heard someone utter. 

It took several seconds for my brain to catch up. I wasn't dead. Why wasn't I dead? Then I realised, I was lying on the ground a few feet to the left of where I had been. Where the van was partially wrapped around my truck bed, and where I should've been crushed to death. How did I get here? I tried to raised my head but was firmly, but gently, pressed back down.

"Try not to move."

"Edward?" my voice sounded slurred, and panic shot through me. What if I badly hurt my head!?

Then I heard the screams and alarmed shouts.

"Someone call 911!"

"Fuck!"

"Is she okay?"

"Bella!"

"Shit, get Tyler!"

"Just stay awake, okay?" Edward's voice was low and calm in the midst of all the chaos.

"What-"

"Just stay still. Help's coming. You're okay. You're going to be okay."

The back of my head throbbed badly enough to make my vision go in and out of blackness. "Ow."

"Don't crowd around! Give her some space!"

"Bella!?"

"Did someone call 911!?"

There was a flurry of activity around us. I briefly saw Angela's face, white with fright and tears on her face, then Eric was there, none of his usual joy visible. Then Edith Cullen was kneeling next to me. When did she get here?

"Hey Bella," she smiled at me, her voice sounding like she was greeting me in the hall. "How do you feel?"

"I'm cold." 

She chuckled. "That's good! Don't worry, we'll take care of it real soon. The ambulance is on its way."

The word ambulance had me panicked, and they must have noticed because a cold hand was suddenly holding mine. 

"Don't worry, you're okay," Edith said soothingly. "Just a little knock on the head." 

"Tyler?" I heard Edward ask quietly.

"Jasper's got him," she responded. 

The EMT's arrived and Edward and Edith disappeared to give them space. They checked me all over before carefully lifting me onto a stretcher and into the back of the ambulance while a crowd of ashen faced kids looked on. They loaded in another stretcher with a boy I recognised. He was fully conscious, and when he saw me profusely started to apologise, his voice cracking. I was alarmed, I've never seen or heard a boy his age cry. 

We were taken to the emergency room where they took our vitals, shone a light into my eyes, and I was asked to move my fingers and toes. After that they took X-rays to make sure there were no breaks or fractures, then I got moved to a different ward and booked for overnight observation, despite my protests, just in case I had more than a concussion. Charlie came rushing in not long after and my heart broke at the look on his face. 

"Bells!" he cried and ran to my bed, gripping my hand enough to hurt. 

"Hey Charlie," I tried for a smile. He really had to be scared since he said nothing about my slip about using his name.

"How are you feeling baby?" his eyes seemed to try and X-ray me.

"Just a little dizzy. They gave me stuff for pain."

"Oh God," he sobbed and wrapped his arms around me. 

I blinked at the sudden tears in my eyes and wrapped the arm around him that wasn't attached to a saline drip. "It's okay Dad. I'm okay."

He sniffed and wiped his eyes. "Well uh," he said gruffly. "I'm glad you're okay."

"The other kid, is he okay?"

"He's got some cuts, but considering everything you both got off lightly. The right side of his van is completely crumpled. It's a good thing he was driving alone or..."

I shut my eyes against the violent images flashing before them.

"How's my truck?" I asked, heart already sinking.

"A bit dinged up. The taillights completely gone. Billy's boys will take care of it, don't worry."

"Thank you, Dad."

"For what?" 

"Just... for being my dad."

He blinked rapidly and quickly looked away. "Can I, uh," he cleared his throat. "Can I get you anything?"

"I'm just thirsty."

"Okay, I'll be right back," he nodded, and looked relieved to do something.

Then I received another visitor. Edward approached my bed, his expression indecipherable. 

"How are you feeling?" he asked in his quiet, melodious voice.

"Like I've hit my head really hard," I replied.

He smirked. "Well I asked my dad to take a look."

"You didn't have to do that."

He shrugged.

"Did anyone else get hurt?"

"No. Just you and Tyler."

"What happened?" I frowned, trying to put together the jumbled puzzle pieces.

"Tyler lost control of the van because of the ice. He narrowly missed you."

"But - how - did you pull me out of the way?"

"It was more of a tackle, but yeah," he said sheepishly.

"I don't remember seeing you anywhere nearby."

He shrugged again.

A doctor entered the room and my mouth nearly dropped open. Forget McDreamy! He looked like a devastatingly attractive old-school movie star, except with blond hair, and dark shadows under his eyes. It must be hard to work as a nurse here. 

"Hello Bella," he smiled, his voice incredibly calming, like just him speaking could cure you. "You've had quite the adventure today."

I grimaced in response.

"Would you mind if I take a quick look?" he asked.

Even though I've already been examined in the ER, I agreed. It was hard to say no to him.

Dr Cullen worked with quick, gentle. efficiency. He gave of the impression that he could probably diagnose you with 100% accuracy by just looking at you.

"Well, you only have a concussion. If you experience any nausea, blurry vision, see black spots, or extreme pain, please let us know."

"Thank you, Dr."

"Maybe take it easy for the rest of the week. I'll write you a note."

Charlie returned as Dr Cullen was about to leave. They spoke for a minute, with Dr Cullen apparently putting Charlie at ease. 

"I brought you something with sugar," Charlie held a Coke out to me. "I think it's supposed to help."

"Thanks," I took the can and cracked it open, thirstily downing the sweet, fizzy liquid.

"Hello, sir," Edward offered Charlie his hand. "I'm Edward Cullen."

"Charlie Swan," Charlie shook it. He looked from Edward to me. "You one of Bella's friends?"

Edward glanced at me, almost as if he was asking too. "Yes."

"Well it's kind of you to visit."

"Of course," Edward smiled. He addressed me. "The others will probably want to see you after school."

"Others?" I frowned.

He looked confused at my confusion. "Angela, Jessica, Eric, Mike. Your friends?"

I don't know why, but I was surprised, and touched. I've only known these people for like two weeks.

Then he smirked. "My sisters might drop by as well."

_Why?_ I wondered. I've had one proper conversation with Edward, and only had a two fleeting interactions with Edith. 

He seemed to read my mind, because he chuckled and said, "I don't pretend to understand them."

This was all so weird. Am I dreaming?

Charlie's phone buzzed and he excused himself to answer it, leaving me alone with Edward again.

"You're like a superhero now," I grinned at him.

He gave me a wry smile and rubbed the back of his neck. "Nah. Not me."

"What should we call you? Captain Ed?"

He groaned. "Please no."

"You saved my life," I said, somber now.

He nodded. 

"Thank you."

"Any time," he gave me a smile that made me feel hot all over.

Charlie stayed as long as he could, but I could tell he was torn between staying and going back to work. I released him with my blessing. Edward hung around for a while too, and we mostly talked about small things, the books on our reading list, music. Later my friends showed up and crowded around my bed, interrogating me and expressing their worries. 

"Honestly they should've just cancelled school today," said Jessica. "Things were batshit anyway, and no one paid any attention."

"I'll get your homework and assignments," Angela assured me. "I'll help with them too if you want!"

"Thanks!"

"Dude, that was the scariest shit I've ever seen!" Mike exclaimed, and I noticed his hands were extra fidgety.

"Yeah, from where I was standing I thought the van had killed you," said Eric, turning pale at the memory. 

It was weirdly comforting to listen to their chatter. It distracted me from the horror of narrowly escaping death. It would have destroyed my parents.

"Have you been to visit Tyler?" I asked.

"Yeah," said Mike. "He's got twenty stitches!"

"He feels really bad about it," said Jessica. "He's not taking it well."

My heart ached for the poor kid. For the sake of his mental health I'm glad we both got off lightly. "It's not his fault though," I said.

"Yeah, but still."

My final visitors of the day were, as Edward had warned, his sisters. To my surprise, Alice came dancing in with a bouquet of flowers, Edith walking gracefully beside her.

"Hi Bella!' Alice greeted brightly. "I hope you like these," she showed me the flowers.

"Uh, thanks?" 

She put them on the bedside table and sat down at the foot of my bed. She was wearing a cute long sleeved dress with tights and boots. 

Edith pulled a chair closer and asked, "how's the noggin?" She was wearing dark red flannel over a Nirvana t-shirt and ripped leggings, her wrists covered in silver and leather bracelets.

"Okay for now, thanks."

"We just wanted to say how glad we are that you're okay," Alice smiled brightly at me. 

Edith smirked. She had an intensity about her that I didn't really know how to process. "We also personally wanted to make sure that Carlisle's doing his job."

That must be Dr Cullen's name.

I didn't really know what to talk about with these two. I didn't even know why they were here!

"I hear you have good music taste," said Edith.

Edward talked about me with his family!?

We talked a bit about the bands we listen to and songs we like, until a nurse reminded Edith and Alice that visiting hours were almost over.

"Hope you'll be one hundred percent in the morning!" said Alice and surprised me with a hug.

"See you around," Edith nudged my shoulder with her fist and they left.

Honestly, I was exhausted after all the excitement and passed out soon after.

Dr Cullen examined me again the next day, and I was deemed fit for discharge. I was given some pain medication to take home, with instructions about what to look out for in case there was cranial bleeding. Charlie took me home, where I was finally able to talk to Mom on the phone. She was in hysterics, but I managed to calm her down by making the accident seem a lot less serious than it was. She and Phil were packed up and ready to leave in two days, and we made plans for video calls to stay in touch.

I laid down on my bed, wincing as the tender part of my head throbbed at the initial contact. I played the events over in my head, and wondered anew where Edward had come from, just in time to push me out of death's way. 

I spent the day dozing on the couch to my F.R.I.E.N.D.S DVD. 

I was back at school two days after the accident. I've gotten too restless at home, and reasoned that the office could always call Charlie or the hospital if something happened. Charlie had to drive me to school, the truck was still at Billy's, and Angela offered to drive me home. On the plus side, I was excused from Gym. 

I briefly achieved the status of a school celebrity as people constantly stopped me in the halls to ask about the accident. I wished they would just leave me alone. Tyler also kept apologising whenever he saw me. I was seriously worried about the dude, and hoped that he wouldn't do something stupid in his self-loathing. 

Another change was that the Cullens joined us at lunch, making our table pretty crowded now. Things were initially awkward, until Edith made a comment about Eric's Star Wars shirt, then did a Yoda impression that had everyone laughing. I occasionally caught Edward's eye, and he would smile at me every time. We all instantly adored Alice, who was just the sweetest, cutest, little thing. Jasper was quiet and aloof. 

Once everyone momentarily forgot about the accident, the conversation turned to the spring dance. Jessica kept looking pointedly at Mike. Alice enthusiastically offered to help the girls with our outfits and makeup and jumped into detailed explanations of what she planned for each of us. 

After lunch, Jessica pulled me aside. 

"So um, I was wondering, would it be okay if I asked Mike?"

I stared at her. "Yeah, of course! Why wouldn't it?"

"You weren't going to ask him?" she looked surprised.

I had no idea what had given her that impression. "Nope. Hadn't even crossed my mind. I don't even know if I'm going."

"What!?" she looked utterly scandalized now. "You have to! It'll be fun!"

I hesitated. "I can't dance."

"Pshh. So what?" she shook her head. "Anyway, if you're not asking anyone, who _are_ you going with?"

"I don't know. Does Angela have a date?"

"I'm pretty sure Eric's going to ask her," Jessica waggled her eyebrows.

I smiled. That would be adorable. "I'll figure it out. _If_ I'm going."

Jessica just rolled her eyes, "You're going Bella. Peer pressure! Give in!"

I sighed dramatically. "I'll think about it. When are you asking Mike?"

"I don't know!" her hands fluttered around. "Ugh! It's so friggin awkward. What if he says no?"

"If he does, I'll kick his ass. Or ask Edith to kick his ass. She looks like she can take him."

Jessica laughed at this and we headed off to class.

Dance fever has properly taken ahold of Forks High School. People were fretting about dates, and the ones with dates were fretting about what to wear. _If_ I decided to go, I'd personally prefer to go as a group. I didn't need the pressure of a date right now, and I was too chicken to ask the one person I might be interested in. 

During Biology, as casually as I could muster, I asked Edward, "You going to the dance?"

"I don't really go to school dances."

"How hipster of you. Now would you mind giving me a proper answer?"

He sighed. "I don't think so."

My heart sank the tiniest bit, and I cursed myself for it. 

"What about you?" he asked.

"The others really want me to."

"But?" 

"I don't know how to dance and I'll probably be the only one without a date."

"Dancing's not that hard."

I scowled. "For you maybe."

He smirked. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I gestured vaguely at him. "Oh please, Mr Perfect? Of course dancing's not that hard for you."

"I'm not perfect," he said quietly.

"You're supposed to say that."

He chuckled and returned to his work. I followed his cue and turned to my own work, though I didn't exactly feel very academically inclined. 

The next day I was ambushed by Alice, who was adorably fierce, demanding to know why I wasn't going to the dance. 

"Just give in," said Edith. "She won't give up until you say yes. She even convinced _me_ to go."

"I don't have a date though. And I can't dance."

"We'll teach you!" said Alice brightly and did a twirl in demonstration. "And we can go as a group."

"What about Jasper?" 

Alice pulled a face. "The boys are going hunting on the day of the dance."

"Hunting?"

"Our brother and sister, Emmett and Rosalie, are visiting, and the boys insist on some bonding," Edith elaborated.

There were _more_ of them!? 

Alice grabbed my hands, giving me the saddest puppy-dog eyes, "so are you coming?"

I only just now considered the implications of going with Edith (and Alice) to the dance, and blushed. "I-"

"Pleaaaaase!"

"Okay! Okay." 

"Great!" Alice hopped up and down. 

At lunch Alice arranged for all us girls to go to Port Angeles for outfit shopping in two weeks, to which Jessica agreed enthusiastically. Angela looked less certain and Edith's expression looked pained. 

"It still sucks that you're not going," Alice pouted at Jasper. He squeezed her hand, then kissed the back of it. 

"I sincerely apologise, ma'am."

Jessica tittered at this.

"Yeah, why can't I come again?" Edith scowled at Edward.

"Where are you going?" asked Mike.

"Our brother Emmett's taking us hunting," Edward explained.

"Boys only," Edith snorted.

"And you promised me a dance," Alice smiled self-satisfactorily at her sister.

Mike suddenly slammed his hands flat on the table. "Okay, let's forget about the dance for five minutes and talk about this Saturday!"

"What's this Saturday?" asked Eric.

"La Push beach!"

I groaned. 

"No, I'm serious! The weather report says it's going to be a sunny day. Guys, we _have_ to go."

"I'm in!" said Jessica immediately.

Edith suddenly looked alert. "Does that invitation extend to us?"

"Sure, the more the merrier! We'll just need another car then."

Edward grimaced. "I don't know."

"Well I'm in," Edith grinned.

Alice looked at Jasper, but the idea of the beach seemed to cause him physical pain. 

A warm, sunny day in Forks? What is this sorcery!?

"We'll meet outside our store, then drive down together," Mike continued. "Everyone just brings their own drinks and snacks."

"But I don't like sand," I said, "it's coarse, and rough, and irritating, and it gets everywhere."

Eric, Angela, and Edith snorted.

"Uncultured swine!" Eric said to everyone who hadn't caught the joke.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up, I re-wrote Jacob's "ghost story". Not that mine's any good either, I just wanted to write something different that wasn't connected to the Quillayute tribe.

When I told Charlie about the La Push trip, he seemed very enthusiastic. I think he was just happy that I made friends and was making an effort to take part in Forks living. He did ask me who was going though, probably so he knew who's kneecaps to break if something bad happened. I gave him everyone's names, and that the Cullens might be going. He knew everyone's parents of course, and was happy that we were including the Cullens.

As the day approached, Edward pulled out, to my immense disappointment. He didn't even give a proper reason for why. Alice also pulled out, I suspected because of Jasper. I didn't really know what his story was, he seemed to have a hard time with socialisation, except when it came to Alice, in which case he transformed into a gentleman. She acted very protective of him, and it was sweet to watch her fuss over him. Edith insisted on coming though.

On the day of, I woke much earlier than intended because of a bright light shining into my room. No, not a light, _sunlight!_ I ran to the window, and there it was, my old friend, the sun. I didn't realise how much I'd missed it! Wonders never cease. 

I had my coffee outside to soak up as many rays as I could. My sun-starved skin slurped up the heat. 

The Newtons' Olympic Outfitters store was just north of town. I'd seen the store, but I'd never stopped there — not having much need for any supplies required for being outdoors over an extended period of time. In the parking lot I recognized Mike's Suburban and Angela's Sentra. There was a silver Mazda that I didn't recognise. Everyone was gathered by Mike's Suburban, the boys loading coolers and snacks into the back. I felt a little overdressed as Jessica and Angela wore spaghetti strap tops, and shorts. Edith wore a loose fitting sleeveless shirt, the sleeve holes large enough to show her sport bra, her usual collection of bracelets in place. Mike word a tank top and board shorts, while Eric wore a t-shirt with the Superman logo. I was the only one wearing a jacket and jeans. 

"You came!" Jessica cried and surprised me with a hug.

"I told you it was going to be sunny!" Mike grinned.

"And you delivered," I smiled back. 

"You feelin cold there, Swan?" Edith smirked at me.

"She's used to the desert, this must feel like a normal winter's day for her," Eric laughed.

"I also brought a jacket," said Angela. "You never know with Forks."

"Shhh!" Mike cried. "You'll jinx it! " He folded his hands and looked to the sky. "Please, dear weather gods, pay no heed to the non-believer!"

I offered my bag of snacks and it got loaded in with everything else. 

"Let's go!" Mike hollered and we piled into the car.

We all wordlessly gave shotgun up to Jessica, and the rest of us squeezed into the back. 

"Angela, you're small, maybe you should sit on one of our laps," Edith suggested, a devilish glint in her eyes.

Angela blushed violently. "I-"

"Yeah," I played along. "Why don't you sit on Eric's lap?"

Eric looked equally flushed. "Um, sure, if you want?"

"Just pick a lap and it down," Mike said from up front. 

After some awkward maneuvering, with legs getting tangled, Angela ended up on Eric's lap. 

It was an uncomfortable ride for us in the back, luckily it was only fifteen miles to La Push from Forks, with gorgeous, dense green forests edging the road most of the way and the wide Quillayute River snaking beneath it twice. I was glad I had the window seat. We'd rolled the windows down and loudly blasted music from Jessica's phone. 

I'd been to the beaches around La Push many times during my Forks summers with Charlie, so the mile-long crescent of First Beach was familiar to me. It was still breathtaking. The water was dark gray, even in the sunlight, white-capped and heaving to the gray, rocky shore. Islands rose out of the steel harbor waters with sheer cliff sides, reaching to uneven summits, and crowned with austere, soaring firs. The beach had only a thin border of actual sand at the water's edge, after which it grew into millions of large, smooth stones that looked uniformly gray from a distance, but close up were every shade a stone could be: terra-cotta, sea green, lavender, blue gray, dull gold. The tide line was strewn with huge driftwood trees, bleached bone white in the salt waves, some piled together against the edge of the forest fringe, some lying solitary, just out of reach of the waves. There was a brisk wind coming off the waves, cool and briny. Pelicans floated on the swells while seagulls and a lone eagle wheeled above them.

We picked our way down to the beach, carrying all the provisions, Mike leading the way to a ring of driftwood logs that had obviously been used for parties like ours before. The boys stacked wood in the ring in a teepee shape and started a fire going.

"Have you ever seen a driftwood fire?" Eric asked me. 

"Nope."

He grinned. "Watch," and added some dry pieces to the fire. 

"It's blue!" I gasped.

"The salt does it," he explained. "Pretty cool huh?"

We started unpacking the snacks and passing it around. With a wicked grin, Mike revealed the contents of his cooler: beers and ciders. Ah, it was going to be that kind of party. I felt stupid taking out my Pepsi now. Everyone kicked off their shoes and made there way to the water. It was brain-numbingly cold and we all shrieked and danced around like crazy people, running back and forth as the waves washed in and out. 

"Come on pansies," Edit laughed and waded in up to her waist. 

Not to be outdone, Mike followed her suit, his voice raising at least two octaves as he yelled, "Cold! Fuck! Cold!"

"Dude, you're not going to be able to have kids after this!" Eric laughed. 

"They're insane," said Angela through chattering teeth and I headed back to the fire with her.

Next we hiked up to the tide pools, carrying drinks for the road. I decided to throw caution to the wind and accepted a cider from Mike. My experiences with alcohol have been limited to tasting Mom's drinks. Only Angela and Edith didn't accept anything alcoholic. Angela, I understood, but Edith surprised me. 

"It's a genetic thing," she explained to everyone's stares. "I can't drink alcohol."

It was low tide, and a tidal river flowed past us on its way to the sea. Along its pebbled banks, shallow pools that never completely drained were teeming with life. The tidal river's water was also nice and warm compared to the sea and we splashed around, chasing the shoal of silver fish. We clambered around the tidal pools, pointing at starfish and Mike chased Jessica with a dead jellyfish. 

I was very cautious not to lean too far over the little ocean ponds. The others were fearless, leaping over the rocks, perching precariously on the edges. I found a very stable-looking rock on the fringe of one of the largest pools and sat there cautiously, spellbound by the natural aquarium below me. The bouquets of brilliant anemones undulated ceaselessly in the invisible current, twisted shells scurried about the edges, obscuring the crabs within them, starfish stuck motionless to the rocks and each other, while one small black eel with white racing stripes wove through the bright green weeds, waiting for the sea to return. I was completely absorbed, except for one small part of my mind that wondered what Edward was doing now, and trying to imagine what he would be saying if he were here with me. 

"Boo!" Cold hands suddenly grabbed me from behind, jolting me just below my ribs and I jumped and cried out. Before I tumbled forward into the tide pool, strong hands held me back. 

"Oops, sorry Bells!" Edith said behind me. She didn't let go until she was sure I was steady. 

No one except Charlie has ever called me Bells. Not sure how I felt about it.

"Are you mad at me?" Edith hunkered down beside me. "I didn't expect you to have such a big fright."

"No I'm not mad," I assured her. "Just embarrassed."

Edith's eyes were practically golden in the sunlight and quite mesmerising. Her curls hung loosely over one shoulder, gleaming red, gold, and brown. I couldn't help but wonder what Edward would have looked like in the sunshine. 

"What were you thinking about?" Edith asked, peering into the tide pool with me.

"I don't know. Just daydreaming."

Edith stretched languidly, like a cat, and lay down on her back. She hummed. "Man I love the beach."

"Do you come here often?"

"Less than I would like."

We were silent for a while, me staring at the water, Edith lying with her eyes closed. 

"Can I ask you something?" I broke the spell.

"Shoot."

"Why didn't Edward want to come?"

Edith fluidly rose back into a sitting position. "Hmm. Edward thinks he doesn't deserve happiness."

I frowned. "Why?"

She shrugged. "Teenage angst? Masochism? I don't know."

I pondered her words. So Edward fancied himself a tortured soul. 

"Can I ask about Jasper?"

She hesitated. "Jasper... he has a hard time with crowds. He's easily overwhelmed."

"I can kind of relate. At least he has Alice."

Edith smiled fondly. "Yeah, thank God for Alice. We all need an Alice in our life."

"I think it's cool you came."

Edith gave me a sideways smirk. "Yeah?" She nudged me with her elbow. "Even though I almost knocked you into the tidepool?"

I laughed. "Yes, despite you almost drowning me."

"If it's any consolation, I would have gone in after you if you'd fallen in."

"Okay, well in that case all is forgiven," I laughed. I was surprised; Edith was so easy to hang out with. With Edward, I was constantly nervous about saying or doing something wrong, and he was intense - in a completely different way than Edith was. His intensity was cold, like ice, whereas hers was warm, like a campfire. Yet, my tummy felt all fluttery whenever I was around Edward.

"Yo!" Mike called out. "We're heading back!"

Edith got to her feet and offered me her hand, "shall we?"

I accepted and she pulled me up effortlessly. 

When we returned to First Beach, a group of teenagers was approaching our fire from the opposite side; local teenagers come to socialize. 

The food was already being passed around, and the boys hurried to claim a share while Eric introduced us as we each entered the driftwood circle. Edith and I were the last to arrive, and, as Eric said our names, I noticed a younger boy sitting on the stones near the fire glance up at me in interest. I sat down next to Angela, while Edith took a seat next to one of the local girls. Mike brought us sandwiches and our choice of beer or cider, while a boy who looked to be the oldest of the visitors rattled off the names of the seven others with him. All I caught was that one of the girls was also named Jessica, and the boy who noticed me was named Jacob. It was relaxing to sit with Angela; she was a restful kind of person to be around — she didn't feel the need to fill every silence with chatter. She left me free to think undisturbed while we ate.

As they finished eating, people started to drift away in twos and threes. Some walked down to the edge of the waves, trying to skip rocks across the choppy surface. Others were gathering a second expedition to the tide pools. Mike and Jessica headed up to the one shop in the village. Edith walked off with the girl she'd been talking to. Some of the local kids went with Mike and Jessica; others went along on the hike. By the time they all had scattered, I was sitting alone on my driftwood log, with three teenagers from the reservation perched around the circle, including the boy named Jacob. 

A few minutes after Angela left with the hikers, Jacob sauntered over to take her place by my side. He looked fourteen, maybe fifteen, and had long, glossy black hair pulled back with a rubber band at the nape of his neck. His skin was beautiful, silky and russet-colored; his eyes were dark, set deep above the high planes of his cheekbones. He still had just a hint of childish roundness left around his chin. 

"Hey Bella," he smiled. "I'm Jacob. I don't know if you remember me."

I searched my brain with no luck. "Sorry, no."

"That's okay," he said, still smiling. "We used to make mud pies together when we were very little."

"Oh, you're one of Billy's kids!"

"Yeah."

Now I vaguely remembered; Charlie and Billy had thrown us together a lot during my visits, to keep us busy while they fished. 

"Are your sisters here?" I examined the girls at the ocean's edge, wondering if I would recognize them now.

"No." Jacob shook his head. "Rachel got a scholarship to Washington State, and Rebecca married a surfer — she lives in Hawaii now. So how do you like the truck?"

"I love it!" I exclaimed.

"I'm glad," he grinned. "Though it's a really slow."

"I don't mind. Slow works for me."

He just laughed and shook his head. 

"It does great in a crash though," I said, in my truck's defense.

"I don't think a tank could take that thing out," he laughed.

"Are you working on anything else right now?" I asked. 

"When I have free time, and parts. You wouldn't happen to know where I could get my hands on a master cylinder for a 1986 Volkswagen Rabbit?" he added jokingly.

"Oh no," I slammed may palm against my forehead. "I just gave mine away!"

"Ah, well crap," he grinned.

"How old are you again?" I asked, trying to remember what the age difference was.

"I just turned fifteen. How's Forks treating you?" 

"Better than I expected," I admitted. "Though I could do with more sun."

He laughed. "Yeah I feel that."

"You come up to Forks often?"

"No, but when I get my license and the car fixed up, I can go wherever I want. You wanna go walk on the beach?"

"Sure."

We walked a while along the beach, Jacob told me about his memories of our fishing trips together, I talked about Phoenix. Our path naturally took us into the forest.

"It's so spooky in here," I said, wrapping my arms around myself. "It's like anything's possible."

"I know a few good ghost stories," Jacob said. 

"Maybe you should save them for the bonfire," I chuckled nervously.

"In all seriousness though, it's pretty safe. The dangerous animals are more toward Mount Rainier."

"And the ghosts?"

He laughed.

We ventured just a bit further, when we very unexpectedly came across, well... Edith and the girl she'd wandered off with were wrapped around each other and passionately making out.

"Leah?" Jacob exclaimed.

They jumped apart, Edith put her hands behind her back and lowered her eyes, biting her lower lip. I couldn't tell if she was embarrassed or trying to keep from laughing, or both. Leah, an athletic girl with cropped black hair, completely avoided Jacob's eyes and hugged herself.

"Um, sorry," I squeaked and immediately turned around, pulling Jacob with me.

Once we were out of earshot, Jacob hissed, "what just happened?"

"I, uh," the mental image played in my head again. I felt so friggin embarrassed, as if I'd stumbled upon them naked or something. "Well..."

"I didn't know Leah was - that she," Jacob looked stunned. "She used to date Sam! Shit, what will her dad say..."

"So Leah's not-?"

"No! At least, she never said she was. What should I do?"

"Well, perhaps keep this to yourself, unless Leah wants you to say something. It's clearly something private and we accidentally walked in on it."

"Shit," he ran a hand through his hair.

"Look," I felt I needed to say something, "people don't choose who they fall in love with. Sometimes, a girl falls in love with a boy, and sometimes, a girl falls in love with a girl. It just happens. I think if we could all pick who we crush on, things would be a bit simpler, but here we are."

"Yeah, I know, I just... I've never met someone who is..."

"Not straight?"

"Yeah."

"They're just people. Like you and me. Just because a dude is gay doesn't mean he pervs over every guy he meets, just like you - hopefully - don't perv over every girl you meet. Not that I mean to assume..."

"No, no, you're right," he shook his head. "Sorry, I must look like a total dick. I'm just surprised, that's all."

"I understand. Just, be nice."

He smiled at me. "That I can do."

We returned to the fire, and soon after the rest of the party rejoined. Edith and Leah were walking apart, no sign of their former intimacy. Leah threw Jacob a worried look, before sitting down. Edith came to sit down next to me, and in a low voice said, "about back there..."

"I am so sorry," I replied, the noise of the others masking our conversation, "it's none of my business, I didn't know..."

"Could you, maybe, keep this to yourself?" She looked at me earnestly.

"Yeah, of course!"

"Leah's going through some shit, and, I don't need things to be more complicated for her."

"I understand."

"Thanks," Edith briefly squeezed my arm.

Jessica conjured a pack of marshmallows, and all of us, except for Edith, toasted them over the fire. Mike and Eric argued about the best way to toast a marshmallow, and an impromptu contest ensued. Someone had brought a speaker and loud music started to blast while we laughed and chatted. When the sun started to set, we all huddled closer to the fire. I was happy to see Mike and Jessica sitting tightly together like two peas in a pod. 

Ghost stories were called for, and I nudged Jacob to go first, since he'd been so keep to tell one before.

"Okay, okay, okay," he got to his feet, hands raised, "I got a good one."

His friends sniggered. "Not the Beach Comber Jake!"

He grinned wolfishly. "No, don't worry, it's a good one."

One of the older kids gestured for him to continue, and the music got turned down. 

"So ages and ages ago, this woman came down here. She was gorgeous, like imagine the most beautiful women in the world, combine that, and times ten."

Some of the boys chuckled and whispered to each other.

"Nobody knew where she came from, or even why she came, and she lived all by herself in big old house. Naturally, all the men in town fell in love with her, even the married ones, so their wives hated the woman. This one guy, let's call him Ben, was brave enough to approach her and he started to court her. When things uh, you know, started to _heat up_ ," he bobbed his eyebrows to make a point and a bunch of the group giggled, "he disappeared, without a trace.

"Then another man tried his luck, good ol' Jim. And after a while, he disappeared. So this guy..."

"Bob?" someone offered.

"Sure, Bob. He was married, but he became obsessed with this strange woman. His wife noticed, and even though she begged him, he went out of his way to see the Cold Woman, as the people have started to call her."

"I'm calling it, she killed them," Mike called.

"Shh!" someone hissed.

"When Bob inevitably disappeared as well, his wife,"

"Cecilia," Edith offered.

"His wife, _Cecilia_ , went to the Cold Woman's house to confront her. So she went up and knocked on the door, but there was no answer. So she tried the door, and it was unlocked. Inside the house it was like the inside of a freezer, with dust everywhere, like no one's lived here for years. She wandered through the house, calling for Bill,"

"Bob."

"Sorry, Bob, but there was no answer. Then, finally, Cecilia reached the master bedroom. Slowly she opened the door," Jacob mimed the motion, "and went inside." He paused, his dark eyes moving from person to person. "There was dried blood _everywhere_. On the floors, the walls, splashed all over the bed which was torn to pieces."

"I knew it," Mike whispered.

"Cecilia ventured further into the room,"

"No!" Angela squeaked.

"And then she saw a leg, just sticking out from under the bed. When she knelt down, the rest of the body wasn't there. Then she saw an arm, just lying by the wardrobe, and guts, all piled up by the vanity," he obviously relished in describing the gory scene. Poor Angela looked very pale. "Naturally, our heroine, turned around, feeling sick from the sight, then she saw..." another dramatic pause. "Bob's head, nailed to the wall behind the door. And she screamed. She ran from the house and told everyone she encountered what she saw. The local police went to investigate, but found nothing. The house was clean and pristine, the Cold Woman even asked them to stay for tea.

"So Cecilia was put into an asylum, because obviously, she was batshit crazy, constantly rocking back and forth an muttering 'his head, his head was on the wall!'. And meanwhile, more men disappeared, and if someone tried to investigate the Cold Woman, they found nothing."

"That's it?" Jessica scowled.

"I'm not done yet! One day, the women of the town had had enough, so they gathered at night in secret, and set fire to the Cold Woman's house. Apparently the screams that came from the house were horrible, like the screeching of a thousand demons. As the flame devoured her perfect skin, the Cold Woman cursed the town and its people, that one day, more of her kind would return and destroy them all."

A few seconds of silence followed.

"That wasn't really that scary," one of the older La Push boys complained.

Jacob shrugged. "Well, it's a true story."

Mike sniggered.

"No, I'm serious," he grinned, "everyone knows the story of the White Widow."

"Oh _shit_ ," Eric exclaimed, eyes wide.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"Back in the nineteenth century, there was this female psycho who killed all her lovers," Jessica explained. "No one could ever prove anything, but after the house mysteriously burned down, they found the remains of like a dozen bodies buried under the foundation."

Now _that_ was scary. Psycho serial killers are real. 

"So, what," Edith spoke, "one day more psycho women are going to come around and kill everyone?"

"Well, if this story is true," Jacob replied, "she wasn't human. So maybe more of her kind will come one day and wreak their revenge."

"What was she then?" asked Jessica.

"A _vampire_ ," Jacob grinned wickedly.

For some reason my skin crawled. Something about the word 'vampire' seemed to trigger a thought or a feeling that I couldn't quite put my finger on. 

"Okay, my turn!" Mike got up and rubbed his hands together. "I've got one that's actually scary!"

When Jacob sat back down, I murmured to him, "I thought your story was really creepy."

"Thanks," he grinned.

"Where'd you hear it?"

"I heard about the White Widow at school, then I asked my dad about it, and then I did my own research. The case was pretty famous, so there's like whole forums of conspiracy theory weirdos speculating about her."

"What do you think though?" I asked. "Was she a vampire?"

Jacob thought for a second or two. "I think she _thought_ she was one."

That night I had a nightmare. In the nightmare, I was back in the forest, and I was desperately running away from something, but I couldn't find my way out of the trees. Then Edward appeared before me, his eyes gleaming red, blood dripping down his chin. 

"Bella!" I heard Edith's voice call my name, so I turned and ran to it. Except, Edith had the same red eyes, and when she grinned at me, she had fangs stained with blood.

I tried to run, but then little Alice was there, blocking my way. She gave me a grizzly, bloody smile. "Dance with me, Bella!"

I woke all hot and sweaty and tried to shake the images from my head. Jacob's story hadn't scared me at the time, but now that I was alone in my dark bedroom, the after images of my nightmare haunting me, I was frightened. _It's because he talked about vampires, and you thought about Edward a lot_ , my brain rationalised. _So your subconscious mushed it all together_. I thought of the creepy dream version of Alice and compared it to my memories of real Alice. There's no way she's a vicious killer.

I wasn't very keen and falling asleep again.


	5. Chapter 5

It rained again on Sunday, so I dressed up all comfy again, made some coffee, and settled on the couch with my phone. During the day, the story of the White Widow, or Cold Woman, had lost most of it's threat again. 

I opened up Google Chrome, and typed: white widow, which brought up a bunch of hits on a strain of cannabis. I went back and typed: white widow forks area. The top result was a Wikipedia article about the case, so I started there. So the real White Widow had been a woman called Bernadette Ashton. They called her the White Widow because she was always seen wearing white, and the term "Black Widow" is usually used when referring to female serial killers. It was pretty chilling, because unlike the majority of female serial killers who'd killed with poison, she'd killed her victims by draining their blood, and then mutilated their corpses. This led me down a rabbit hole of speculations about the case and Bernadette Ashton. Some people believe she'd suffered from a condition called Cotard's Delusion, a rare mental disorder in which a person believes their dead, or don't have blood, or that they don't exist. About 50 % of people with the disorder think they're immortal, while the other half deny their existence. Others believed she was just a psycopath. And the rare occult followers thought she had actually been a vampire or a witch.

Of course, that led me on another tangent of reading up about vampires. Vampire myths and legends are as old as human civilization, ranging from the Albanian striga, the Romanian strigoi, the ancient Greco-Roman Empusae and lamia, the Eastern Cape impundulu, the Jiangshi from China, the Nekukubi from Japanese folklore, and a myriad of variations in the Americas and the rest of Asia. So our modern idea of the vampire as being a pale, sexy seducer started back in the 18th century, with penny dreadfuls and stories like John Polidori's _The Vampyre, Carmilla_ by Josehp Sheridan Le Fanu, and of course, what made this concept really popular, was Bram Stoker's infamous _Dracula_. 

My knowledge of vampires is based mostly on Dracula and the Anne Rice novels, where vampires have fangs, are vulnerable to sunlight (in the Anne Rice universe; Dracula was only weakened by sunlight), are beautiful and powerful. The garlic thing is from folklore, and Dracula was weakened by it, while it had no affect on Lestat and his kind. About the only thing everyone could agree on though, was that vampires drank blood or some approximation of life essence. 

Well. That was interesting. I kind of wanted to reread The Vampire Chronicles now. 

I entertained the idea of vampires existing. Would we know? Would it be obvious? Which version was the correct one? Unless there are different kinds? And would they be evil? Or ambiguous? I thought of the Cullens, how graceful, beautiful, and fashionable they were. Aside from the sun thing, they were great candidates for vampires in Anne Rice's universe. The thought amused me. 

Okay, enough fooling around. I had a paper on Macbeth to do.

My day was quiet, but productive. I finished my paper, did my Trig, and read some more Wuthering Heights (though I wished I was reading Interview with a Vampire instead). Charlie came home from his fishing trip and promised fish for dinner at some point. Aside from scrambled eggs, it's the one thing he could cook.

Fortunately (or unfortunately?) no nightmares about sexy vampires that night. I woke, to my utter astonishment, to another bright, yellow, sunny day. I was practically skipping through the house, wearing one of the few sleeveless blouses I'd brought. Charlie laughed when he picked up on my mood.

"Nice day out," he commented wryly.

"Yup!" I grinned. 

His eyes crinkled around the corners, and I had a brief flash of a much younger Charlie from the wedding photographs, young, handsome, kind. I could see the man my mom had married when she was only nineteen, two years older than I was now. He kissed me on top of my head before leaving for work, and I felt a wave of affection for him. Why had I been so worried about living with him?

Being a realist, I still took my rain jacket with me to school. I arrived to a scene of kids in t-shirts and tank tops, some even brave enough for shorts, even though it couldn't be warmer than sixty. I saw Mike first, wearing khaki shorts and a striped rugby shirt. We sat together on one of the picnic benches south of the cafeteria.

"Did you have fun Saturday?" he asked, smiling broadly. 

"I did, thanks," I said sincerely. 

"See," he nudged me, "it's okay to relax every now and then."

"Thank you for teaching me your ways, master," I bowed my head.

Jessica soon joined us, ambitiously in a light summer dress. Mike's face lit up when he saw her, and I was happy for them. 

"Oh my gosh!" Jessica exclaimed by way of greeting. "So Alice just texted me to confirm if we were still on for shopping this weekend!"

My heart sank a bit, but my mood was hard to spoil in this weather. 

"You're coming, right?" she asked.

"I kind of don't have a choice," I sighed, pretending to be really put out.

"Come on, it'll be a fun girl's day out!"

Mike just shook his head, "what am I supposed to wear for the dance?"

"Well, I'll know when I get my dress," Jessica lightly touched his arm. "I'll look for a matching tie or something."

"Do I _have_ to wear a tie?" 

"I'll think about it," she beamed at him.

When lunch came around, we all sat outside to enjoy the weather, I saw that the Cullens were suitably, and fashionably dressed for the weather; Alice in a cute, blue polka dot dress, Jasper in a cream polo shirt that showed of his muscular arms, Edith in a loose fitting shirt with Jack Skellington on it that looked like she'd torn off the sleeves herself, and ripped denim shorts. And Edward: wearing a plain, navy blue t-shirt that complimented his frame beautifully, causing me to have impure thoughts about what was underneath. The sunlight gleamed in Edward's hair, making the red and gold highlights stand out, and I was slightly transfixed. I felt a sudden urge to run my fingers through it, but kept myself in check. The nice weather was no excuse to get rowdy!

In Biology, which had turned into Edward-Bella one-on-one time, Edward remarked,

"You're in a good mood."

"Why wouldn't I be?" I grinned. 

"The sun suits you," he chuckled.

"Now do you understand why I've been such a grumpy guss?"

"You weren't a grumpy guss," he laughed. "I found you perfectly civil."

"Dude, you sound so old when you talk like that. But it's also kind of cool. More people should talk old-fashioned,"

He laughed again. "I wonder what you're like when you've had a few drinks."

"I wouldn't know. I don't really drink."

"Really?" he considered me thoughtfully.

"Is that a surprise?" 

"Not really. You are very mature for your age. It's... refreshing, I guess, to meet someone who doesn't think alcohol is the ultimate rite of passage to adulthood."

"I also don't really like the taste," I admitted.

The nice weather held out for the entire weak and I was on an all time high, chatting more than I normally would have and acting sillier than I'm used to. But everyone acted a bit loopy, like we've all been released from mental cages.

The Port Angeles shopping trip drew near, and Alice organised for her and Edith to pick us all up. They refused any offers to share the gas expenses. So on Saturday morning, I sat in the kitchen, waiting for Alice to swing by. She was picking Jessica up first. Eventually, a dark green Jeep pulled up outside the house and I headed outside. Edith was behind the wheel, with Alice waving at me from the shotgun seat. I climbed in the back and we all exchanged greetings. Panic! at the Disco was playing through the speakers.

"Hey Bella!" Alice twisted around to beam at me. "You excited!?'

"Sure," I grinned, her enthusiasm was infectious.

We went to Angela's house next, and we were all just one big ball of excitable estrogen as we made our way to Port Angeles. 

With no boys around, Jessica and Alice embraced the opportunity to talk about them. Jessica hoped that she and Mike would have their first kiss at the dance. Angela was nervous about what to talk about alone with Eric, and everyone assured her to be herself. Jessica demanded from everyone who their dream guy was, and Alice elicited a collective "awww" when she said Jasper. Angela got red and flustered and tried to opt out, but with encouragement admitted she liked Tom Holland, which had most of us squealing.

"What about you Bella?" Alice asked.

"Uh," I blushed. There was no way I was admitting to Edward's _sisters_ what I thought of him. "I don't know. Tall, dark, and handsome."

"Pshh," Jessica rolled her eyes. "Give me _details._ What was your first boyfriend like?"

I briefly met Edith's eyes in the rearview mirror and they were thoughtful. She'd been mostly silent during this part of the conversation.

"I haven't technically had one yet," I admitted.

"What!?" Jessica exclaimed.

"Well neither have I, it's not that weird," Angela came to my defense.

"I mean, I've been on dates," I said quickly. "I just... I didn't really like any of them, and I'm not really that into dating."

"Have you had your first kiss, at least?" Jessica asked, suddenly concerned.

"Yeah! Yeah," I laughed awkwardly, my face burning up.

"Ooooh spill!" Jessica leaned over.

"It was nothing major, I was fourteen, this guy called Andrew asked me to a movie, and he kissed me. It took me by surprise. But we never dated."

"Awww," Jessica wriggled. "Okay! So, my first kiss was Tyler, back in seventh grade. We were _dating_ ," she made air quotes around the word, "at the time, and he asked to kiss me behind the bleachers. So I said yes!"

"What was it like?" Angela asked shyly.

"We were twelve, so it was like a peck," Jessica laughed.

"What about you Edith?" Angela asked politely, probably trying to include her.

"Oh," said Edith. "Well, boys aren't really my thing to be honest."

Jessica and Angela blushed as they suddenly remembered. But Jessica rallied impressively. "Okay, well who was the first _girl_ you kissed then?"

The car was quieter now, as the three of us were very curious about what it was like for someone on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. Alice also watched her sister with rapt, tender attention.

"Hmm," Edith smiled. "I was fifteen. She was the local pastor's daughter, so it was pretty scandalous."

"Did he find out?" Angela asked quietly.

"No," said Edith. "Eventually she got scared and confused though and asked me not to see her anymore."

"That's so sad!" cried Jessica. 

I felt a pang for Edith. As hard as dating and teenage romance was for the most of us, I couldn't imagine how much harder it must be for someone like her.

"Nah," she said lightly. "Don't be sad for me. It happens."

"Do you have a... girlfriend, right now?" Jessica asked.

"Jess," Angela hissed.

"No, it's okay," Edith laughed. "And no, I don't. Forks is... a little light on my type."

My memory briefly flashed to Edith making out with the girl from La Push, and my face burned anew. 

Port Angeles was a beautiful little tourist trap, much more polished and quaint than Forks. On Alice's instructions, Edith drove us straight to a little boutique shop. The dress code was semiformal, we didn't really know what that meant, but Alice assured us that we were in good hands. She scanned the racks with an expert eye, and handed us things to try on in a no nonsense tone. Edith settled in on one of the benches outside the changing room, looking a bit bored. 

I normally didn't like trying things on or shopping for clothes, I always felt extra self-conscious and the mirrors in stores are designed to make you look like crap. But today, I was having fun. Maybe because I was out with the right group of people. We tried on some joke outfits for fun, with Jess in a sequence number that had been nice maybe a few decades ago, and I tried out a suit that made me look like I was trying to copy Ellen Degeneres. 

In the end, Jessica settled on a knee-length, blue, off the shoulder dress that really suited her eyes. Angela chose a long, soft pink dress that draped beautifully around her tall frame. Alice picked out a simple Greek-style, cream coloured dress for me, and a slender golden belt to wear around my waist. I was surprised at how comfortable it was, and it actually suited me!

Finally, Alice approached Edith, with a dress hidden behind her back. "Edith..." she started.

Edith folded her arms. "Nope."

"Come on," Alice pleaded. "Just this one. I promise! It'll look amazing on you."

"I don't like dresses!" Edith complained. "I feel all exposed."

"Edith." Alice gave her a serious look. "You're going to put it on yourself, or I'm going to force it onto you."

Angela, Jess, and I looked on in amusement as Edith and Alice had a stare down. After a long pause, Edith got to her feet. "Fine."

Alice beamed with delight and handed her the dress. Edith grumbled loudly for us to hear from inside the changing room. When she emerged, my jaw almost dropped and my stomach did a flip. Edith was _hot_. It was a simple, but elegant, black, knee-length dress, with cuts along the thighs, showing off Edith's impressive legs. Together with her pale skin. amber eyes, and gorgeous bronze hair, she was deadly.

"Holy shit," Jessica gasped. "You sure you don't want a girlfriend?" she joked.

Edith looked uncomfortable. "I look stupid."

"No you don't!" all of us assured her, and Alice literally danced around her.

"Now we just need to put you in heels to show of your..."

"No." Edith glared and crossed her arms. "No heels. I draw the line there."

"But," Alice pouted.

"No heels."

"Okay," Alice relented, "but I refuse to have you in boots."

Edith smirked like she had an even better idea. She hurriedly changed back into her old clothes and joined us for the next step - shoes and accessories. 

My own reserves were getting low, so I quickly decided on a pair of strappy black sandals with only the slightest heels, and joined Edith on the bench as Alice had the others try on pair after pair.

"There's no stopping her, is there?" I asked, watching Alice.

"You have no idea," replied Edith wearily. "You don't have to live with her."

"But you put up with it anyway?"

Edith shrugged. "It makes her happy. And I like making her happy. Our family's had too much sadness."

I decided not to pry. It seemed too personal to discuss, especially in a shoe store.

"You want to do something else while we wait?" Edith suddenly asked. "Looks like they'll still be a while."

"Uh, sure, like what?"

"There's a bookstore near here that I like to visit, and we can take stroll along the boardwalk."

"Sounds good," I agreed. 

We arranged to meet the others at an Italian place on the boardwalk in an hour, then we set off, me following Edith. She took us a bit further into town and away from the more touristy parts. The bookstore was tiny, something I would easily have missed. Aside from the cashier, we were the only people in there. Edith moved purposefully to the back, where the horror, sci-fi and fantasy novels were. She browsed through the Stephen King novels, while I wandered around, scanning the shelves for something to catch my interest. I found myself at the Classics section and was surprised to _Carmilla_ on the shelf, especially since I'd read about it so recently. I checked the price, it was even 50 % marked off.

"Carmilla was a lesbian, you know," Edith said behind me and I jumped. "Sorry."

I blushed. "She was?" 

She nodded. "She preyed upon a teenaged girl called Laura. It was ahead of it's time; the book never condemned Carmilla for her sexuality. Only for being a bloodsucker," she smirked.

"Have you ever been condemned?" I asked.

"For being a bloodsucker?" She raised an eyebrow at me.

I merely scowled.

Edith sighed. "Never by anyone that mattered."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," she smiled. Then her eyes turned back to the novel in my hands "So, are you giving the spicy lesbian vampire a try?" 

I hesitated. Why not give it a try? It might be good to expose myself to some non-hetero literature. "Why not?" 

We paid for our books and strolled a bit aimlessly through the streets. 

"May I ask, how did you find out?" I asked, feeling unusually bold.

Edith gave me a sideways glance. "Find out that the earth is round? Find out that Panama hats aren't made in Panama?"

"That you always pretend not to answer questions?" I countered.

Edith grinned, then looked ahead, stuffing her hands into her jean pockets. "I don't know. I think I've always known, deep down. I wasn't exactly a "normal" little girl. I preferred to play with Edward and his toys, instead of dolls. I hated wearing dresses because they got in the way of running and climbing." She chuckled. "Still do. Uh, I guess it was when I was twelve. There was a girl on our street, much older than I was. I thought she was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen and made any excuse to pass their house, just to get a glimpse of her." She paused thoughtfully. "Huh, guess I was a bit of a stalker." 

"What happened?" I asked.

"Nothing," she shrugged. "She married or moved away or whatever girls do. After that, I realised I could never like boys that way, even though I tried."

"How did your family react when they found out?"

"Well, Edward thought I was teasing for a while, and I think everyone else thought I was just going through a 'phase'. Esme, our mom, I think was the first one who knew it wasn't just a phase." She smiled fondly.

"I'm glad they accepted you. Not everyone has that."

"Thanks," Edith nodded. "Yeah, our family's isn't exactly usual though."

"So you've never kissed a guy?" I asked.

"Nope. Don't feel the need to either." She looked at me. "Okay, my turn to interrogate."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"I'm kidding," Edith laughed. 

"But go ahead," I said, "it's only fair."

"Have you ever kissed a girl?" asked Edith, and I blushed.

"No."

"Would you want to try?" 

I looked at her, my face burning more hotly, trying to decipher if there was any underlying meaning to the question. "Are you offering?"

She broke out into the purest musical laughter I've ever heard from her. When she looked at me, the best way I can describe her gaze was smoldering. "So bold! And you haven't even taken me to dinner!"

"No!" I said quickly. "I didn't mean anything by it, I misunderstood!"

"Relax!" Edith punched me lightly in the shoulder. "In any case, no, I wasn't offering. Not exactly. Anyone in Forks caught your eye yet?"

I looked away, embarrassed, and Edith smiled with satisfaction. "Okay, okay. Is he smart?"

"Very," I admitted.

"Ooh! Is he nice?"

"I think so."

"Think so? Better make sure of that. Is he..." 

Suddenly Edith stiffened and grabbed my arm, pulling me along as she quickened her pace.

"Edith?" I frowned.

"Just keep walking," she said in a low, urgent voice.

I instinctually glanced over my shoulder, and saw a group of guys about a hundred metres behind us. My stomach churned uneasily. 

She led us on a confusing, crisscross route that soon had me lost, her hand still painfully wrapped around my forearm. But suddenly a battered old truck drew up ahead of us, and our pursuers jumped out the back.

"Where are you going?" One of them asked in a light, friendly tone. "You're in an awful hurry."

Edith positioned herself slightly in front of me, but I was too frozen to really move or do anything. My mind had gone completely blank.

The guys approached us. They all seemed to be in their twenties. "Come on, we just wanna say hi!" the leader smiled. 

Edith stared at him coldly. "We were just on our way."

"But we wanna have a chat," he said, and his buddies grinned and nudged each other. "What's your names?"

Edith briefly tightened her grip on my arm before easing up again. "Fuck off."

"Oooh!" they laughed. "That's some ugly words from a pretty mouth like yours."

"Listen, dick," Edith spat. "Turn around and take your ugly friends with you."

He stepped even closer, his friends moving to form a semi-circle. "What if I don't wanna, huh?"

One of them approached me and said, "wanna grab some drinks? Have some fun with us?"

Edith whirled around and kicked him solidly in the stomach, sending him flying backward. She snarled, "I _said:_ Fuck. Off." 

The men's expression's turned ugly. 

"You stupid, fucking, bitch!" shouted the guy on the ground. 

Edith shoved me back and away and I stumbled but caught my balance. I didn't know what to do, my panicked brain hadn't even registered that I should be scared yet. 

A car came flying down the street, the men barely jumped out of the way and it nearly hid the chubby one Edith had knocked over. They turned around with fright on their faces. I recognised that car- 

Edward got out of the driver's seat and marched at the men with murder in his eyes. "Get away from them," he growled.

The men shifted their weight and looked at each other. Then Edward socked one solidly in the face, sending him spinning. The others hesitated, then seemed to think better of it and ran back to their truck. Their buddy stumbled after them and barely got in before the truck screeched away.

"What the fuck are you doing here!?" Edith demanded, her eyes burning.

"I came to help," Edward countered.

"I had it covered!" she snapped and they began to argue. I only caught snippets of it.

"You should get in the car," Edward said sternly.

"No we're fucking not!"

Edward glanced at me, as if asking me to convince her. Except my brain was still frozen and I couldn't speak.

"We're fine," Edith insisted. "Now go! Please."

"You almost got-"

"I could've handled it!"

Edward hesitated for a moment longer, looked at me, then got into the car. The Volvo's engine roared and he sped off. Edith stared after it, her shoulders heaving, then she turned to me and grabbed my shoulders.

"Bells, are you okay?" she asked, searching my face. "I'm so, so sorry!"

"Yeah," I said shakily. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" she asked, her grip turning painful around my upper arms.

I nodded.

"Fuck," she exclaimed and turned away, pulling at her hair. "This is my fault, I should've known they were coming!"

"What?" I frowned, finally getting some of my faculties back. "What do you mean? There's no way you could've known."

"But I _should_ have!" she cried, pacing up and down. "I was distracted!" She glanced in the direction the truck had gone. "I should find them and rip their balls off." Somehow I knew she wasn't speaking in hyperbole. "If you'd heard what they were thinking-"

I stopped her. "What do you mean _heard_ what they were thinking?"

Edith froze. "I just meant- it's obvious what their intents were."

I chill ran through me. "Yeah, but why did you say it like that? Like you could hear their thoughts?" 

Edith stared at me, almost desperately. 

"I-" I took a step back and rubbed my temples. 

She was instantly there, checking on me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I repeated. "I'm just- I'm confused. And why the hell was Edward here!?"

Edith sighed heavily and walked a few steps away before coming back. "Will you allow me to gather my thoughts before I explain?"

"Yeah, but no bullshit. Please."

She nodded and paced back and forth again, running her hands through her hair. 

"Are you okay?" I asked gently.

"No, no, I'm not!" she said bitterly. Then she spun around and punched the nearest wall.

"Hey!" I ran over, alarmed, and pulled her back. "Don't hurt yourself!" Then I looked at the wall, and saw a small chunk missing from the brick where her fist had connected. I looked at her knuckles, they were scraped, but nothing was broken. My mind felt on the verge of snapping. What the fuck was going on? "Hey," I repeated quieter, still holding Edith's arm, in case she went into another fit of self-destructive rage. 

"We, uh, we should head back," Edith said hoarsely.

"Yeah, okay," I nodded. "But we're going to talk, after, okay?"

She nodded.

The journey back was very different. Edith fumed in silence and I was shaking. Before we reached the boardwalk, she managed to compose herself somewhat, and we entered the Italian restaurant where the others were waiting.

"We were just about to call-" Alice greeted brightly, then her expression fell. "What happened?"

I glanced at Edith, then spoke for the both of us, "nothing. Just a narrow escape with some douchebags."

"Oh my gosh, are you okay?" Jessica exclaimed and everyone jumped to their feet.

"Yeah," I said and steered Edith to the table. "Just a little shaken."

Alice looked worriedly at Edith, searching her face. 

"I'm okay," Edith muttered. "Really."

We all sat down and I tried very hard to focus on the menu, but I could feel Alice, Angela and Jessica studying us. We only started to relax when the food arrived, and I realised how hungry I was. I devoured my alfredo with gusto, whilst Edith only picked at her ravioli. I looked anxiously at Alice, and she gave a me a look that said _later_. I also downed two Cokes, and my hands eventually stopped trembling. I asked the others about their shopping, and the conversation became light-hearted. I finally felt Edith begin to calm down next to me.

Alice treated us with desert, ignoring our protests as five plates of cheesecake and ice cream arrived. It was good, if a bit too lemony for my taste.

The drive back to Forks was more somber, even though Alice bravely tried to keep cheerful conversation going. Edith dropped off Angela and Jessica first, then asked Alice, "is it okay if I have a quick talk with Bella?"

"Of course."

We pulled up outside my house, Charlie wasn't home yet. Alice hugged me goodbye and said, "thanks for coming. It was really fun. I hope you had some fun despite..."

"I did, really," I assured her. "Thanks."

Edith followed me to the front door. "Is it okay if I come in?"

"Yeah," I nodded. 

I unlocked the door and led the way to the kitchen. We sat down opposite each other and Edith folded her hands on the table.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper like that," she started. "It was unacceptable."

"It's - it's okay. Just, don't hurt yourself."

She sighed heavily. "I haven't done that in months."

I waited.

"About what happened," she said. "I could have prevented it, and I feel terrible that I didn't."

"How?"

She looked at her hands. I could see her jaw working.

"You said you could _hear_ their thoughts," I pressed. "What did you mean? Can you read minds?" Normally I would have felt ridiculous asking something like this, but after today I felt a bit like I've stepped into a slightly different version of the universe I was used to. 

Her eyes met mine, and I could see the conflict there. 

"Hypothetically," she said slowly. "I can."

My pulse quickened a little. "Can you hear mine?"

"No. It works with most people, but not you."

"Huh," I said, but filed it away for later. "Okay. Next question. Why was Edward there? How did he even find us?"

She tensed up. "He said he'd been keeping an eye on us. Then he... heard the commotion and came to the 'rescue'." 

"Keep an eye... he was stalking us?"

"That's another way to put it," she said bitterly.

"And he- Edward can read minds too?" I asked. I was suddenly embarrassed, remembering everything I'd thought about him, often around him. Did he know all that!?

Edith nodded. "Yup. Except yours."

Phew.

"So... I'm a freak?"

Edith cracked a smile for the first time since the incident. "No. It's probably just an innate talent you have. There are probably hundreds of people walking around with extraordinary abilities, blissfully unware of it."

"And yours and Edward's are mind reading?"

"Yeah. It started off as a twin telepathy thing, like the real deal, but as we got older we could expand it to other people."

"Can you control it?"

"To an extent."

I nodded, processing the information.

"You're surprisingly okay with this," Edith said.

"I know, right?" I forced a laugh. 

"Anything else?" Edith asked.

"You punched a hole in a wall and Spartan kicked a guy."

"It wasn't a hole-"

"Close enough. Do you have super strength or something too?"

"Or something," she looked away.

"Is your whole family - are they all like you? Are you like the X-Men?"

She smiled again. "We're not the X-Men. My family is different, though. The rest can't read minds, but, they can do other... things."

"So you're kind of like superheroes." 

Her mouth twisted. "Not really, no. In fact, my brother would probably say we're the villains."

"Why?" I frowned. They've been everything but villainous! Their adoptive father was even a friggen doctor! 

"Listen," Edith briefly touched my arm. "All of this, what we talked about, you can't tell anybody. I slipped up today, and that will probably get us into a heap of trouble. Just talking about it I'm taking a massive risk."

"Then why are you telling me?"

She looked at me thoughtfully. "Because you deserve some explanation." Her head turned as if she was listening to something. "I have to go."

"Alice?"

She nodded. 

I walked her to the door where we stood for an awkward second or two. 

"Despite everything, thanks," Edith smiled, some of her old warmth returning to her. "I had fun."

"Me too," I smiled. 

And with that she turned around and headed back to the Jeep. Alice and Edith waved at me one last time before driving off.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah, I changed the rules about eye colour. Edward still had golden eyes (i.e. so does Edith). But for example, Rosalie has violet eyes like when she was human, it's just more piercing and pronounced in vampire form.

Unsurprisingly, that night I had another nightmare. Except, it wasn't about the almost assault. It was probably inspired by the conversation Edith and I had in the bookstore about Carmilla. I dreamt that I was in a strange bed; Edith was wearing the dress she'd tried on in Port Angeles, and blood was dripping down her chin. She walked slowly toward me, her eyes sultry and burning. I couldn't move and my heart hammered deafeningly in my chest and ears. She climbed onto the bed until she was on top of me, and her scent enveloped me. She smiled, revealing pointed fangs. "Have you ever kissed a girl?" she purred, then brought her lips to my throat.

I woke flushed and confused, and stupidly felt my throat, which, of course, was unscathed. I'd dreamt that Edith was a vampire, or that she was Carmilla? I pressed my palms into my eyes. Had any of that really happened? Or was I going crazy? And then I had a slightly more insane thought, though after yesterday, it didn't seem as mad as it would've a few days ago. What if my subconscious was hinting at something? Not the nonsense of Edith being Carmilla, but that she - and her family - were... not human? It would explain the mind reading, the physical prowess. What if they were... _vampires?_

I wanted to ask, I even picked up my phone, poised to start typing, but didn't go through with it. The weird thing, even if it was true, I didn't feel... scared. I was scared yesterday when those guys harassed us, of course, but none of that fear was ever from any of the Cullens. What did I know about real vampires? Perhaps they weren't like the bloodthirsty monsters from folklore at all.

I nearly fell out of bed when my phone vibrated in my hand. It was Edith. Spooky - it's like she knew I was thinking of texting her. 

_Hey, you okay?_

_Yup._ I replied. Then immediately sent another text: _You?_

It took a while for her response to come through. I could almost see her, her jaw working as she thought. " _I'm okay. Got a lecture for spilling all of our precious secrets though. The family will probably want to meet you._

My heart fluttered in my chest. That sounded ominous. Perhaps they were going to wipe my brain or something?

 _Am I in trouble?_ I asked.

_Not at all. You free later?_

Oh, this was happening _today_? I felt abnormally nervous. I mean, I've met most of them at school, and Dr Cullen at the hospital, so why the jitters? 

_Yeah._

_We'll get you at 2._

_K, see you then._

There came no further responses. 

Holy shit. Was I going to a house full of supernatural beings? Was this how I was going to die? What should I even wear??

My phone vibrated again and I jumped. Geez Bella, maybe you should see a doctor? 

This time it was Angela: _Hey, how are you?_

I typed back: _I'm good, thanks :) You?  
_

_I'm good. Just thought I'd check in._

_Thanks, I really appreciate it. Seriously, you're a great friend._

_Well I'm here if you feel like you need to talk about anything :)_

_Thanks! Same goes for you._

Soon after, Jessica bombarded me.

_OH MY GOSH BELLA!!!! Are you okay?_

I gave her the same answers I'd given Angela, and we texted back and forth with promises to hang out again some time. 

Considering that I was going to formally meet the Cullens, I showered and washed my hair, then spent ages in front of my sparsely populated closet. Nothing I owned could possibly compare to what they had, judging from what the kids have been wearing to school. I bet their home looked amazing. Finally, I decided on black pants that were somewhat formal, but not too formal, a dark blue top, a jacket, and pumps. When my feet started to grow cold, I switched out the pumps for boots. 

I tried to do my homework, but had a hard time focusing. None of the Trig made sense, and I was too distracted with my impending meeting. I counted down the hours, and time moved painfully slowly. Part of me wished I could just get over and done with, while another part wanted to call and cancel. I gave up trying to do my Trig, and wrote some nonsense to make it look like I had done something. 

I went down to the tv and flipped aimlessly through the channels, nothing gripping my attention. I ended up on a nature documentary about the annual salmon migration, but wasn't really absorbing anything. I tried to start reading _Carmilla_ , but then I kept thinking about Edith from my nightmare, so I put it away. 

Ah! Why does time pass so slowly!?

Eventually, time did pass, and at exactly two o' clock, the silver Volvo arrived. With my heart racing, I went out to the car. Edward got our of the driver's side and my heart completely skipped a beat. He was wearing a leather jacket over a soft, v-neck shirt and tan pants. 

"Hello Bella," he greeted quietly and held my door open for me.

"Uh, hi," I greeted and got into the back passenger seat. I expected Edith to be up front, but instead it was Alice who turned around to smile at me.

"Hey Bella!"

"Hey," I greeted, feeling confused. 

Edward slid into the driver's seat and said over his shoulder, "buckle up."

I did as he asked and he started the engine. He smoothly took off and I curiously watched the scenery go by. We passed over the bridge at the Calawah River, the road winding northward, the houses flashing past us growing farther apart, getting bigger. And then we were past the other houses altogether, driving through misty forest. He then turned abruptly onto an unpaved road. It was unmarked, barely visible among the ferns. The forest encroached on both sides, leaving the road ahead only discernible for a few meters as it twisted, serpentlike, around the ancient trees.

The house appeared among the trees, and I murmured, "wow". It was probably over a hundred years old, three stories, and undeniably graceful. Edward followed the curve of the driveway around the back of the house and stopped outside the garage. The next moment he was by my door and opening it, my brain barely had time to register that he'd moved. No more pretending, I see. Alice hopped out after me and grabbed my hand.

"Come on!" she pulled around to a side door and into a gorgeous kitchen. It was all gleaming marble counter tops and silver appliances, any foodie's dream. We passed through the kitchen and into a wide, open living space, where Dr Cullen and his wife waited for us. 

"Carlisle, Esme," Alice sang, "this is Bella."

"Hi," I waved shyly.

"Bella, it's nice to see you again," Dr Cullen held his hand out to me.

"Thank you, it's nice to see you too Dr Cullen," I shook his hand.

"Carlisle, please," he smiled, causing my brain to malfunction. 

Esme stepped forward next. She was unbelievably lovely, with honey-coloured hair and the most gentle smile, like a fairy-godmother in the flesh. "Hello Bella," she said in a gentle voice, "I'm Esme."

"Hi," I shook her hand.

"Please, come sit," Carlisle gestured to the creamy white sofas. 

"I'll get the others," Alice chirped and danced off.

I sat down gingerly, afraid that I would somehow stain the pristine couch cushions. "Where's Edith?" I asked. "I thought she was going to pick me up."

Edward smirked, and Carlisle shared and uncomfortable look with Esme. "Edith is, for lack of a better term, grounded."

"Because - because of what she told me?"

"That's part of it."

"We had a disagreement when she came home," Edward elaborated.

Alice reappeared with her arm hooked through Jasper's. He looked more relaxed and at ease than I've ever seen him. He wore a loose, long sleeved shirt with sweat pants. It suited him, made him look more like a normal teenager.

"Bella," he smiled.

"Hey Jasper."

"Oh dear," Edward murmured, right before two people whom I've never met entered.

In the lead was a statuesque, breathtaking woman with long, blonde curls, and for the first time I actually felt a afraid of one of the Cullens. I presumed this was Rosalie. There was something fierce about her expression and I shrank back into the cushions as her violet/blue eyes landed on me. The guy behind her, a tall, broad-shouldered, muscular young man, on the other hand, looked friendly and curious. That must be Emmett. Rosalie wordlessly joined the couch circle, and continued to glare at me, whilst Emmett came over and crushed my hand as he said, "hey! I'm Emmett."

"Bella," I squeaked.

Edith whooshed into the room, literally, and cried, "Bella's here?"

"Come sit," Carlisle patted the open spot next to him.

Edith was wearing a long, green flannel tunic that reached halfway down her thighs over black leggings. She hopped over the back of the couch and fell down next to Carlisle. It was fascinating and a bit unsettling to finally see them all in their natural environment. It was both familiar and alien.

"Bella, welcome to our home," Carlisle spread his hands. "We're happy to have you here."

"Most of us," Emmett coughed into his fist and Rosalie punched his arm. "Ow! Babe!?"

So they were together, like Alice and Jasper were?

"Let us address the elephant in the room," Carlisle smiled at me. "Edith told you a bit about us."

"Not everything. And only because I insisted," I said quickly. "And those men nearly - if Edith and Edward hadn't done something."

Everyone but Edith swiveled to look at Edward. Oops.

"Edward?" Carlisle asked mildly.

He looked down at his hands. It was weird to see Edward Cullen look embarrassed. "I may have broken one of the men's jaws."

"Why didn't you say anything yesterday?" asked Esme. She and Carlisle looked at Edith. "Why didn't you mention Edward was there?"

She shrugged.

"Great!" Rosalie snapped. "Because the two of you can't control yourselves, we'll soon be swimming in shit!"

"Rosalie, language," Esme said sternly. Rosalie sulkily shut her mouth.

Carlisle looked at me again. "Have you told anyone what you saw and heard?"

"I - no, of course not."

Carlisle looked to Jasper, who nodded. He relaxed and sat back. "Very well then. Thank you."

"How do we know she won't tell someone eventually?" asked Rosalie.

"Tell them what?" Edward asked. "The truth? No one will believe her."

" _Someone_ will, and then the Court will hear about it and we're screwed."

" _Rosalie_ ," Esme repeated.

I just looked from one person to the next, still not really sure why I was summoned.

"Bella," Carlisle folded his hands, "you've accidentally become involved in a difficult situation. I understand that you're confused, but also know that we can't share everything with you. For your safety, and ours. Briefly put, there is a... group, that governs people like us, and they have very strict laws about upholding our secrets. Rightfully, we ought to report this incident, and they will take care of you." The younger Cullens all looked a bit anxious at this.

I didn't like the sound of that.

"However," Carlisle continued, "as of yet, I don't see the need to report this to anyone. No harm has come of it, and I hear that the children are quite fond of you." His mouth twitched into a smile.

Alice grinned at me, Jasper gave me a small smile and a nod, Edith winked, and Edward smiled warmly. I was dumbstruck. I had no idea that these people cared this much for me. I blinked and swallowed against the lump in my throat.

"So, what-" I cleared my throat, "what do you want from me?"

"We wanted to meet you," Carlisle smiled and took Esme's hand in his. "Get a feel for you. And also to make sure you understand the situation and what is at stake."

I nodded. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Excellent! If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. I'll answer honestly, and within reason."

"Okay," I said. "Is Charlie safe?"

"As long as you keep silent, I don't see why not."

Good. That's one less thing to worry about. I had another pressing question, but I was too embarrassed to ask it in front of all of them. 

"Is this why you had to move around so much?" I asked instead.

"Yes," Carlisle looked a bit saddened. "Due to the nature of our... condition, we unfortunately can't stay too long in one place, or people start asking questions."

I nodded slowly. "This group of yours, this Court, are they like you? Do they share your _condition_?"

"Yes."

Okay. Cool. Vampire Supreme Court.

"Are there other... _kinds_ of people?" 

Carlisle hesitated and everyone shared looks. Finally he said, "yes."

Good to know. I might run into a werewolf some time.

"Are there many of you?" I asked.

"Yes and no. People like _us_ , like my family," Carlisle gestured to included everyone, "are exceedingly rare. But there are a few out there who share out condition. Fortunately not that many, but enough that we have to tread carefully."

I processed the information. I had so many questions, but I got the feeling I was reaching my limit.

"I think that's all I wanted to know, for now," I said.

"Excellent," Carlisle smiled. "If there's anything else, don't hesitate."

It was as if we had all wordlessly been dismissed, because Carlisle and Esme got up and walked away hand-in-hand, and Emmett and Rosalie left the room. Alice bounced over to me and grabbed my hands.

"Want to see my room?"

"Sure," I said. I was at their mercy after all.

Edith smirked at me before slinking off. Edward and Jasper followed as Alice dragged me up the stairs. She acted as my tour guide, pointing out each room as we passed. Most of the doors to the others' rooms were closed. She pulled me into her room, which was the most Alice thing I've ever seen: there were fairy lights everywhere, draped across the walls and hanging from the ceiling; one wall was painted like a field of flowers, whilst another was pure glass looking out at the forest; her bed was a four poster with gossamer hangings. 

"Oh wow," I gasped as she twirled around.

"You like it?"

"Yeah!" 

I was admittedly incredibly curious about everyone else's rooms, and Alice didn't disappoint. We did little more than pop our heads in through the door, and I got glimpses into their hidden lives. 

Edward's room faced south, the wall also completely glass and looking out on untouched forest. The western wall was completely covered in the largest collection of LPs I've ever seen. The remaining walls were covered in sound proofing foam. A very scary looking sound system dominated one part of the room. There was no bed, just a black, leather chaise lounge. 

"I've been collecting since before it was cool," Edward commented quietly as I took in his collection.

Jasper's room was very spartan, a simple wood framed bed with white covers, a small bookcase by a comfy looking armchair, and one of those stainless steel and aluminum frame thingies that you can do a variety of exercises with. 

Edith's room took me by surprise. I didn't know what I expected, but certainly not the open, airy space Alice showed me. Like Edward, she had an LP collection, albeit much smaller, in addition to an extensive CD collection. She too had a sound system, but hers was more modest. There were sketches and paintings up on one wall of animals, members of their family, and flowers; it took me a while to connect they were all done by Alice. The wall behind the bed was covered in quotes, and I just knew they had to have been done by Edith. Some were movie quotes, others from books, the uncredited ones I supposed were her own thoughts. Like the other rooms, one wall was entirely glass.

Rosalie and Emmett's room was very Golden Age Hollywood chic, and from the little I knew of Rosalie, it was probably all her taste. The little sprinkling I thought was Emmett's, was an 55" screen tv hooked up to every gaming console imaginable. 

Carlisle and Esme's room was all soft creams and whites and reminded me weirdly of lilies. There was a massive bookshelf against the one wall, filled with medical textbooks, journals, bound theses, and other academic works.

When we exited, piano music drifted up from below, a beautifully haunting piece that sounded familiar. 

"Edith," Edward whispered. He inclined his head for me to follow. We tiptoed downstairs, through the living area, to another room that was empty but for a gorgeous, black grand piano, and Edith playing it. "Moonlight Sonata," he helpfully informed me.

The piece was heavy, sad, and heart-achingly beautiful. 

"I'm her superior when it comes to technique," Edward whispered. "But when it comes to emotion and soul, no one comes close."

I watched transfixed as Edith fingers effortlessly moved across the keys, her body moving with the music, completely enraptured in it. When she finished, I blinked, like I just woke from a spell.

"My turn," Edward grinned and approached the piano.

Edith scowled at him. "Spoil sport. I can't have nice things, can I?" But she got up for him anyway. 

I joined her by the piano and murmured, "that was beautiful! I didn't know you played?"

"You didn't ask."

Edward launched into an incredibly fast and complicated piece, his fingers dancing across the keys so fast I got anxious trying to follow. 

"Show off," Edith snorted.

"What is it?"

"Fantaisie Impromptu. Chopin."

"I have no idea what you just said."

She laughed and bumped me with her shoulder.

When Edward finished we both clapped, and he bowed to each of us. He seemed more at ease here than at school, more human, ironically. Edith plopped down on the bench and pulled him down next to her. Then, like they've probably done a million times, they launched into a duet, their hands flying all over, sometimes even crossing over and under each others. They could make a killing travelling the world as the Wonder Twin Pianists! They certainly had the looks to bring them fame and glory.

"Bella?" 

I turned around and Esme stood just in the doorway.

"Can I get you anything to eat?

"Oh, um, no, that's really not necessary Mrs Cullen."

"Esme," she smiled. "Are you sure? I can make you a sandwich?"

"Just give in to mothering," Edith stage whispered around Edward.

Could vampires even eat human food? Did they buy food just because I'm visiting? I followed Esme to the kitchen where she deftly got out ingredients for a gourmet sandwich - I'm talking ricotta cheese, glazed ham, rocket leaves, caramalised onion - and stacked it al neatly on a slice of toasty ciabatta. Could I move in here and have Esme feed me forever? As I ate my heavenly sandwich, she poured me a glass of ice tea.

"I just want to thank you for being such a good friend to the kids," she said.

"I think it's more the other way around," I said sheepishly. I mean, both Edith and Edward have saved my life now!

"But it's thanks to you that they've become more involved at school and with the other kids. I used to be so worried that all the moving had isolated them too much."

"Oh, well," I didn't really know what to say. All I did was invited them all to join us at lunch. But it warmed me up inside to hear. "So Rosalie and Emmett, are they in college?"

Esme nodded. "Columbia University."

"That's not exactly close."

She sighed. "They visit when they can. Today is an exception considering... well, extenuating circumstances."

Edith appeared in the kitchen, shortly followed by Edward. She leaned against the wall and he quietly took a seat. They were so different in so many ways, and yet so alike.

"Can I ask a weird question?" I asked after I finished swallowing.

"Sure," said Edith while Edward and Esme said, "of course."

"Can you guys eat food? Human food I mean?"

Edith leaned over and took a bite of my sandwich in response. Esme gave her a disapproving look.

"We can," said Edward, "we just don't digest it very well. And it's not nutritional. It would be like... like having a lion eat grass every day."

"Hmm," I said thoughtfully. "So how do you... sustain yourselves?"

I immediately knew I overstepped from the uncomfortable shifting.

"Remember why Eddie can't come to the dance?" Edith asked.

Edward scowled at being called Eddie.

I frowned. "Yeah, he's going hun...ting..." Realisation dawned on me. "Oh." Why wasn't Edith and Alice going then? Surely they needed to "eat" as well?

"Anyone up for Pictionary?" Alice's voice drifted into the kitchen.

Edith and Edward groaned. 

"She always wins," Edith explained, then took me by the elbow. "Come on."

We were odd numbered, so I got sorted into a team with the twins, while the rest formed up as couples. I learned something very important today. The Cullens were _competitive_. With the exception of Esme, everyone else looked about ready to stab each other by the end, but I couldn't help but get swept along by the excitement. Edith and Edward were eerily in sync (despite not being allowed to use their abilities), often needing only to draw a few basic lines to guess the answer, so I barely contributed. But I had a fun time watching. I also understood why Alice always won, she was an amazing artist! Rosalie had a hard time keeping Emmett from being goofy and drawing dicks in every picture. It was easy to forget that they weren't just a normal family. The only giveaways were the occasional, jarring, bursts of inhuman speed and when Edith and Edward forgot to communicate out loud. 

After the game I found myself strolling with Edith through the yard, during another miraculous moment of sunshine. 

"How old are you?" I asked.

"Seventeen," she responded easily.

"How long have you been seventeen?"

She smirked. "A while."

"How long is a while?"

She glanced back at the house, before she said, "Edward and I were born in Chicago in 1901." I stared at her for a moment as I did the math. She didn't look at me as she continued. "He was born first, but I was turned first. Carlisle found us in a hospital in 1918. Spanish Influenza. It had already taken our parents, and was about to take us. I - I don't really know what he saw in us, why he chose us, but he came to me first and explained what he could do. I was delirious from the fever by then and in so much pain. I agreed easily, as long as my brother could come with me. The rest, as they say, is history."

"So, the two of you were first?"

Edith nodded.

"If you could go back, would you choose differently?"

She looked at me thoughtfully. "I honestly don't know."

"Well, if it's any consolation," I said, "I'm glad you accepted, because now I get to hang out with you all."

Edith gave me a strangely sad smile. 

"Who was next?" I asked, my curiosity insatiable.

"Esme." Edith flopped down onto the grass, and when she saw me hesitate, took off her flannel tunic - she was wearing a black tank top underneath - and laid it out for me. "You should know, though, none of us have happy stories. Carlisle only saved the broken and the dying."

"If it's too hard, you don't have to tell me," I said.

Edith considered for a moment. "No, I think it's okay." She picked at the grass, her clever fingers weaving them together. "So back in 1921, this young woman lost her baby to lung fever. She was so devastated, that she threw herself off a cliff." 

My hand flew to my mouth. I didn't want to - couldn't - imagine lovely Esme's body, broken and bloodied like that.

"When she came to Carlisle, she was almost gone. He couldn't even ask her, so he had to make the decision for her. In the beginning, it was difficult, Carlisle explained to her what she was and why he did it, but she was still grieving and he'd taken her death away from her. Eventually, she began to accept what had happened in her old life, as well as accepting her new life. They fell in love, and she became our mom."

We sat in silence for a while. 

"Didn't scare you off, did I?" she asked. "I warned you. None of us have happy stories."

"No, I'm just thinking," I said. "Is that what you meant when you said that your family's had enough sadness?"

"Partially. But enough doom and gloom," Edith brightened up. She jumped effortlessly to her feet, then pulled me up and we went back into the house.


End file.
